Reclaiming Connection in the NICU: A Mom’s Story of Skin-to-Skin and Strength

This September, during NICU Awareness Month, we pause to recognize the strength of families navigating the neonatal intensive care unit. At Bonsie, NICU Awareness Month carries special meaning. Many of the families we serve begin their parenting journeys in neonatal intensive care—fragile, overwhelming, and filled with uncertainty. That’s why our devotion to skin-to-skin contact is at the heart of everything we do: it transforms those first days into moments of closeness and connection. Emmy’s story is a beautiful reminder of how love and daily rituals can soften even the most clinical spaces. We are honored to be a part of Emmy’s NICU journey and to share her experience and wisdom with our audience. 

When Emmy became pregnant with her fourth baby, she joyfully planned her third home birth. But after a hospitalization for pneumonia left her weakened, her water broke unexpectedly at 33 weeks. She was admitted to the antenatal unit and, determined to protect her baby’s health as long as possible, declined an induction.

“I wanted to avoid a NICU stay if I could, and after having a C-section with my first baby, I deeply hoped for the most natural experience possible,” Emmy said.

At 34 weeks, Emmy woke up in a blood-soaked bed—her placenta was detaching. What could have spiraled into a frightening ordeal became unexpectedly gentle. Surrounded by her husband, sister, and a compassionate care team (who even played Taylor Swift in the OR), Emmy’s son Wesley entered the world via C-section. His first cries brought relief: he was breathing on his own.

Wesley, Emmy's newborn son

Finding Connection in the NICU

Though Wesley transitioned to the NICU, Emmy focused on the little rituals that made the sterile space feel more like home. “The simplest things meant the most. Holding his tiny hand, skin-to-skin time, seeing his name on the door of his room… I only went back to my postpartum room to sleep.”

For Emmy, skin-to-skin contact wasn’t just soothing—it was transformative. “Skin-to-skin became our lifeline. We spent nearly every moment that way. It gave me peace, hope, and a sense of normalcy in the middle of an experience that could have felt very sterile.”

Research supports her instincts to hold Wesley close.  Skin-to-skin contact (also known as kangaroo care) regulates heart rate, breathing, and temperature, while reducing stress and improving weight gain (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). For mothers, it lowers anxiety, increases milk production, and strengthens bonding. In a place where so much feels out of parents’ control, these moments of closeness restore agency and intimacy.

Emmy and Wesley practice skin-to-skin contact

Emmy also made intentional choices to carry a sense of home into the NICU. She journaled, wore her favorite postpartum dresses, sipped tea, read aloud to her son, and made space for her older children to be involved. “I focused on making my days feel like a typical postpartum season, not just a hospital stay.”

Her older children became part of Wesley’s milestones: choosing his first outfit, giving his first bath, even learning to run the feeding tube. “Those moments brought a sense of home and family to our experience,” she said.

Alongside family, Emmy found deep strength in her heroic nurses. “The nurses became my biggest allies. Many quietly offered tips or encouragement to help us move closer to discharge. Their support helped me feel hopeful, like we were a team with the same goal of bringing our baby home.”

Emmy and her kids in the hospital

NICU Friendly Babywear 

In the days before Wesley’s birth, Emmy worried she had nothing small enough for him to wear. “I remember crying on the phone with my sister, telling her I didn’t even have clothes for my tiny baby if he came early.” Her sister quickly ordered Bonsie preemie outfits, designed to make skin-to-skin easy even in the NICU.

“By the time Wesley was ready for clothes, we had three precious Bonsies in rotation. Not only did they keep him cozy, but the nurses loved them because they made handling cords and wires so much easier. Those little outfits brought both function and comfort.”

For Emmy, Bonsie clothing didn’t just dress her baby—it supported her family’s most important rituals of closeness, helping reclaim the tenderness of postpartum even in a medical setting.

Wesley in the NICU in his Bonsie Skin to Skin Babywear 

As a certified Birth Story Listener and Birth Story Writing Expert, Emmy deeply understands the importance of processing birth stories. “I encourage every NICU mom to consider a birth story listening session… Processing your birth story in a safe space can help you integrate your experience, reclaim your power, and release trauma that might otherwise linger.”

After 15 days in the NICU, Emmy and Wesley came home. Today, their family of six is thriving. “We’re both doing really well! My hospital and NICU experience went smoothly—I felt supported, had space to process, and was able to ask questions and share my feelings in the moment. Wesley is thriving and hitting all his milestones, and we’ve settled into life as a happy, healthy (and very busy!) family of six.”

Wesley during his first month milestone photo

Emmy’s story reminds us that even in the most clinical environments, love, presence, and small rituals of connection can transform the atmosphere. Through skin-to-skin, gentle routines, and the support of thoughtful tools like Bonsie clothing, Emmy reclaimed intimacy and healing for herself, her baby, and her whole family. For NICU parents everywhere, her journey is proof that softness and connection are always possible—even when life takes unexpected turns.

Source:

Cleveland Clinic. (2024). Kangaroo care (skin-to-skin contact) benefits. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/12578-kangaroo-care