25^th October is Grandparents Day, thank you for the important and special role you play. In honour of Grandparents Day, we are celebrating the Grandparents of our miracles with some great news to share. 

When a family travels the difficult journey of welcoming a premature or sick baby into the world, it isn’t just the parents or carers who are impacted. The whole family feels the reality and shares in the emotions of the experience. None more so than grandparents.

From this week, Miracle Babies NICU Survival Packs distributed to participating hospitals across Australia will include our new, special Grandparents support resources, as part of the ‘Proud Grandparents Project’. The ‘Proud Grandparent’s Project’ was launched in June this year and works to recognise the amazing role grandparents have in this journey.

The NICU Survival Pack aims to equip families with a baby currently in NICU or SCN to help them navigate and cope through this challenging and traumatic experience. The addition of these Grandparents resources will acknowledge the difficulties that grandparents also may face, including isolation, fear, helplessness, anxiety.

The resources include:

• 1 x Storybook. Reading to babies in the NICU and beyond can; assist with bonding (without physical touch), improve mental wellbeing of grandparents/family members, help reduce stress for the baby and aid their development.
• Magnets for each set of grandparents.
• Information flyer to support grandparents in coping with the experience themselves.

Watching your own child experience this entry to parenthood can be a difficult time.
Miracle Babies acknowledges the important role of grandparents in the NICU/ SCN journey, either as a grandparent, mentor or family friend supporting those that you love and care about and we here to support you too.

Advice and tips from grandparents who have travelled this journey:

• Be the rock your child needs you to be. This journey is enormous, they need you.
• Don’t take offense at anything. They are doing the best they can in dire circumstances. Love those babies. Don’t be afraid to touch them when their health allows, it’s a vital form of communication, as is the sound of your voice; so sing, read & chat. Go with an appreciative mindset. If your child hasn’t eaten, feed them; move their cars and love them unconditionally and bestow that same gift on your grandchildren. It’s an amazing investment, as the love you put in now, is returned 10-fold later.
• Be strong emotionally, and support your family as much as possible. Celebrate the special milestones and acknowledge the tears and difficult moments. Support - this is the word that comes to mind, it is so important. You don’t need to give advice, or opinions, you just need to be there to support your loved ones in any way they need.