The parents will almost certainly need all the support they can get in a whole range of ways. They may not know how to react, and neither may you. One thing that many parents in our group have reported is the feeling of isolation they encountered, as friends and family avoided them at this critical time of their life. The new parents may be preoccupied, worn down, stressed out, overwhelmed with the roller coaster of their baby s struggle - but they need to know that their family and friends are still there. The advice below may seem contradictory - that means you have to be careful to tune in to how things are going for the new parents before you follow any of it.
Different people react in different ways, and every parent and every baby is different.
Still, here are some pointers from our group s experience that may be useful. Be sensitive to the emotional strain that the premature birth is placing on the preemie parents. Try not to do anything to make things harder for them. The baby or babies may be very sick, so being too congratulatory can be unhelpful. Acknowledge what the parents are going through and their fears for their baby.