12 Preemie Support Groups For New Parents, Because You Can't Go It Alone

Graham’s Foundation, a not-for-profit support group based in Ohio, was founded with a mission that no one should experience prematurity alone. To that end, the organization has a number of programs designed to help pre-term birth families including NICU transition to home care packages, preemie parent mentors who can be contacted 24/7, an app called MyPreemie, and many online forums for parents to engage with other preemie families.

Hand to Hold is an organization created to guide preemie families through the long journey from a NICU stay to home, as well as provide comfort and support in times of loss. To do so, the website maintains forums for its 63,000 online community members. But it’s not just for preemie families. There are also resources for NICU professionals including podcasts and an ambassador program of bedside support volunteers who visit NICUs and provide additional help.

Bereavement support is something all too many families of premature babies need. And High Risk Hope is one place they can find it. The 501(c)3 believes that “there is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world.” To do so, the Florida-based organization connects families with other organizations to provide ongoing grief support and counseling.

Support 4 NICU Parents was formed by the National Perinatal Association with the goal of improving the level of psychosocial support provided to families of preemies. It not only has resources to guide parents to support groups, it also has a direct contact for parents to reach out with medical and emotional questions for additional one-on-one care.

Tiny Miracles is a nonprofit charity based in Fairfield County, Connecticut, that is dedicated to helping families with premature babies. Like many premature baby groups, it offers all kinds of resources for families, but its most popular offerings are free weekly Zoom support chats that anyone can join. Held every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST, they’re a way for people to get to know other parents beyond a virtual chat room or forum.

Care packages, hospital events, peer-to-peer support, financial aid, educational materials, these are all the work of Project Sweet Peas. Families can reach out directly for all of the above and receive the care they need from this nonprofit. And for those who have simply been touched by a premature birth and want to give back, they can donate to Project Sweet Peas' effort which has sent 23,126 NICU care packages to families and 4,909 bereavement boxes as well.

Social media sites, like Facebook, are a natural home for support groups and the Parents of Preemies/Premature Babies is one of the biggest for this specific demographic. With 15.3K members, it's a private group you must ask to join. It was started in 2007 when founder Heather Armstrong writes that she couldn't find a similar support space. It invites members to discuss topics related to the raising of premature children but doesn't allow fundraising, self-promotion, or requests for medical advice. It includes parents of preemies from around the world.

Not every hospital has a March of Dimes NICU Family Support program, but it's worth inquiring should a family find itself with a baby in the newborn intensive care unit. The nonprofit that's committed to improving the health of mothers and babies organized its NICU Family Support program to provide families with essential materials during their child's NICU stay. Those include things like "keepsake booklets for their NICU baby, a guide for parenting in the NICU, and a NICU guide" according to the organization's website. For families with an infant having a shorter NICU stay, March of Dimes provides materials as well. There's also a helpful app where families can explore their questions and concerns.

Premature babies are not a monolith. There are varying levels of prematurity and some of the most at-risk children are those born less than 2 pounds and before 27 weeks. That's why the Micro Preemie Parents Facebook support page exists, to be there for parents of these special children. Only parents of so called "micro preemies" will be accepted to the private page. Once in, they can expect to be able to join conversations specific to this very unique experience with other parents and guardians who understand where they're coming from.

Black Preemie Parents Community is a Facebook group just for Black parents to find "support, advice, share stories, or just vent as you go through your journey." It's a small group with less than 400 members providing those who join with an intimate circle of friends to reach out to during challenging times.

The premature parenting journey doesn't end when a child leaves the NICU. It's a lifelong path and one that might find parents looking for support well into their child's teens and twenties. For that there's Parents of Older Preemies. Another Facebook group, this 1.5K member page is for "parents to share their stories of their preemie(s) and how far they have come in their lives in a caring and supportive environment. This group shares triumphs, setbacks, frustrations and positive advice to others that are on their continued "preemie journey."

Preemie baby support isn't limited to Facebook and nonprofit organizations. Instagram has also become a network where people kind find kinship in navigating life with a preemie. For instance, preemiesupermoms is an Instagram page dedicated to prematurity awareness. The page posts images of premature babies along with inspiring quotes and stories