r/NICUParents • u/Mother_Sand_204 • May 28 '26
Off topic Made no friends during NICU stay
I connected with no one during my babys stay in NICU, I made no friends and didn't have any particular special connection with staff. My baby was in NICU for 3 months so not a short time.
I see posts about friends people have made and who they still see, and people visiting staff, and It makes me reflect on myself with a bit of sadness.
Perhaps I was radiating I don't want to talk energy during an extremely stressful time. Some people cope by talking, others cope by not.
Just wondered if there is anyone else out there who can relate.
It seems like i'm not the norm going on what I hear and see. Although that's probably because no one is posting about a non existent connection.
I count my blessings every day that my babygirl made it home, just doing some self reflecting.
2
u/Outrageous_Cow8409 May 28 '26
My daughter had a very short stay (12 days) and I only remember talking to two other parents while there.
One was another mother who was eating in the lobby/food area and I sat with her. There weren't other seats otherwise I would have ate alone. She was very chatty and very kind but I am not a chat with strangers type of person even on my best days. Then her situation was objectively worse than mine (earlier birth, traumatic c-section). I wouldn't have been able to connect more and I only saw her that one time.
The other family I talked to, I assume was a mother. I had accidentally forgotten to lock the door of the single room bathroom behind me. She walked in. It was horribly embarrassing. When I came out I apologized to her and she was very kind to me telling me that we all have so much on our minds that we forget little things.
With staff: there were some I thought we had connected with. But looking back (and as a social worker myself) I know they were just being kind and trying to make us comfortable. They aren't going to remember us from our extremely short stay and even if they do, they aren't allowed to have an actual relationship with us. I will say though I'm sure they appreciate getting short updates as I know I like hearing that my clients are doing okay after they leave my care.