Not Alone in NICU

Having a baby in neonatal care is often described as an emotional rollercoaster. Feeling overwhelmed and distressed is common and many parents experience anxiety, guilt, shame, anger and fear in a new and strange environment. You may not know where to turn or what to do next, but you are not alone.

Written by an experienced Consultant Clinical Psychologist specialising in neonatal care for over a decade, this book is a compassionate companion for parents of premature and sick babies. It will:

- Help you find ways to get through the first bewildering weeks
- Support you to look after the emotional wellbeing of yourself and your family
- Work your way through the complexities of becoming and parent and forming a relationship with your baby
- Help you make complex decisions and be involved in your baby’s care
- Address your needs if your baby has a long term or life limiting condition
- Speak to the many specific challenges that arise whilst your baby is being treated in hospital
- Help you prepare for the transition to home and make sense of your experience

Containing over 50 tailored written exercise, links to supporting audio files, parent stories, key information and guidance this book will help you navigate the emotional challenges of your baby’s stay in neonatal care.

Author Biography

Dr Rebecca Chilvers is a consultant clinical psychologist specialising in neonatal care. She has worked with hundreds of families who have been through the neonatal journey with a wide range of experiences, backgrounds and outcomes and was one of the first neonatal psychologists to work in the UK developing the service at Evelina London. She now works as the lead neonatal psychologist for the East of England region and is actively involved in teaching, training, research and a range of initiatives to improve the psychological care of babies, parents and staff within the NHS, the chartable sector and as an independent consultant and clinician.