Congraulations on the birth of your little niece and i wish your family all the best for a very happy future

My brother and SIL have had two NICU babies with two very different paths travelled. My nephew was born at 28 weeks and my niece was born at 30.

For them the hospital was 40 min away and they made the drive (usually 2 times back and forth) every single day. We went and saw both bubbas within a matter of days of them being born. With my nephew we visited every Sunday for a long time, they could only ever have two people visit at a time so a lot of time was spent in a waiting room while we all had our chance to visit. Also i think there is a general concensus of privacy in there and not really peeking too much at the others bubbas.

My nephews journey was very up and down and i think he was in there for a total of 10 months. His lungs were always his issue. But he made it home before celebrating his first birthday!! It is really difficult to know what to do and how to help as it depends on the person. I just did my best to show them as much support as i possibly could. Depending on how long your niece is in NICU i would imgine your SIL may like some company, she will struggle to leave her little ones side.

Last year they found themselves in a similar situation with bubba number two, at the same hospital in the same NICU. Thankfully her path was a much more straight forward one of positives all along. She was born in Dec and was home by mid Feb (i think). Just after Christmas she was transfered to a closer less intensive care hospital also which was very exciting. Again i did my best to visit once a week it was more difficult this time as i had two young children and the hospital isn't a place for them.

Depending on bub the NICU seeemd to do their best to involve the parents as much as possible. They encouraged the hugs once they were possible, baths, weighs, feeds (however they were being given). My brother and his partner became experts at looking at the screens and understanding what all the numbers meant and if bub was having a good day. I have a huge respect for them and the doctors/nurses in the NICU.

All in all the two stays were quite different, my brother did say to me once as much as they love to have people come and visit their little ones in hospital it did make them very nervous and could be difficult at times. It's a time of such unknown and scary emotions. They can do such amazing things these days and everyone just needs to stay positive. I remember my first holds of their precious little ones, i felt so privlidged to hold such little miricles in my arms.

I really do wish all the very best for your family and your little niece. May everyone stay positive and healthy