Moms-to-be spend months dreaming about their little ones' first few weeks in the outside world—holding her for the first time, driving home from the hospital, introducing him to his carefully chosen nursery. For moms with babies in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), those dreams quickly give way to worrying about oxygen levels and watching heart rate monitors.
Some preemies are so fragile they can’t be held for weeks or months. When those babies grow strong enough to snuggle, it takes a team of nurses to navigate wires and help baby safely nestle against Mom. Once there, babies experience a kind of healing technology can't provide: the power of a mother’s touch. Beyond the emotional benefits of reuniting Mom and baby, the intimate contact helps babies breathe easier, eat and gain weight better, sleep longer and, ultimately, go home sooner.
Just in time for Mother’s Day, these photos capture something we see in our hospitals every day: from infants to teenagers, a mother’s touch is sometimes the best medicine for both.
Captured on an overcast Wednesday morning, these photos show tender moments between five moms and their babies in the NICU at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. For the mother of a set of twins, the day marked the first time she’d ever held one of her sons.
Looking for a way to honor the moms in your life? Consider making a donation to Children's in their honor with a special Mother’s Day e-card.
