The poem is from the perspective of the baby to its parent(s), encouraging them through the various stages of an 'average' neonatal journey.
You can do this Mummy
You can do this Mummy, be brave Mummy,
I know I have given you a fright,
Born too soon, too small, too sick in the middle of the night.
Have a sleep to build up your might.
You’ll need it Mummy as together we need to win this fight.
With you by my side, I know my future is bright.
I need you there, I want you there,
You're so scared Mummy but I know how much you care,
I’m so sorry Mummy for giving you this scare.
Be strong, love me-don’t leave me Mummy, don’t you dare,
Be brave Mummy, we’ve got this,
We will work together to bring an end to this nightmare,
Together we can enjoy our neonatal journey,
It’s a journey that I choose only for you to share.
Together we can do this Mummy, it wont be a breeze,
Initially with some of the proposals I bet you just freeze,
I have faith in you Mummy, your mothering instincts will not seize,
I know when you see me struggling, in pain, fighting this disease,
You’ll know then to learn and share their expertise,
So you can touch me, hold me, contain me, cradle me,
Embrace our neonatal journey-go on Mummy please.
Be brave Mummy, Go for it Mummy,
I know I am small,
Don’t be scared, pick me up Mummy,
Once you’ve done this you will feel so tall,
If you’re really worried all you need to do is give the nurses a call.
You can do it Mummy,
Change me, dress me, bathe me-most importantly enjoy me,
You don’t know it yet but your participation is key,
With you by my side I only see my recovery.
Be brave Mummy,
Go on reach for the thermometer,
Try it Mummy, for it to be accurate you need to push it in deeper,
When its finished you’ll here the bleeper,
Wow Mummy you did it, tell the rest of our team Mummy,
Share the news of my temperature,
Wow you’ve learnt a new skill, you aced it that’s for sure.
Go on Mummy, be brave-you can do this Mummy,
Onto the tube feeding,
To get me home sooner, this is what I may be needing,
Although at first you wasn’t keen Mummy,
Look at you now, on many aspects of my care you’re leading.
Go on Mummy, tell them all about me on the ward round,
Don’t be scared you know me so well,
You’re the expert Mummy and will be the first to know if I am unwell,
Change my probes, read the monitors Mummy, we all rely on you,
Only you’ll understand Mummy my every need and cue,
I know you’ll find it obscene but to us you are the most crucial member of the team,
Stand proud Mummy, just look at you now Mummy,
Remember at first when you went unseen,
I love you Mummy, I’m proud of the change in you, you are now so brave and keen.
Thank you Mummy-time for our next chapter,
Due to your love, dedication and commitment you’ve become the absolute master,
I have every faith in you Mummy, I’m confident if I fall you will be the first there with the plaster,
I feel so lucky to have my Mummy and know that no other will ever match her,
Thanks to you Mummy we’ve aced my Neonatal journey-Now for the rest of our life together hopefully free from anymore disaster.
We did it Mummy,
We made it to the end,
It’s been so hard but to my every want and need you have tend,
You’ve been my strength Mummy,
It’s down to you and your care that I am on the mend,
Let’s go home now Mummy-together as a family they will send,
So I can continue to grow bigger, get healthier and drive you around the bend.
*NB-Mummys and Daddys are equally as important and both a crucial role in Family Centred Care, for the purpose of this poem the word Mummy was chosen but Daddy can quite easily be replaced if you prefer whilst reading.
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