Vicki Cockerill - NICU MUM Blog

The Cockerill Boys, my boys. When we first had Elijah, I envisioned myself as a creative sensory activity, organic food making all-encompassing helicopter mum. I would do it all, and I could do it myself. Fast forward a few weeks postpartum and I was quite frankly a mess. I was as far from ‘super mum’ as I could possibly be. A mother barely holding it together and who was planning her departure. Enter stage right… you. You stood by me right from the beginning. You visited me every day, when we were in hospital and even spent two days in your own in the NICU with Elijah when I was too ill. You were the mother, the father and everything in-between to our son. When we brought him home you did everything by my side even when I didn’t want you to be there. When I pushed you away and shouted that I hated you, that I resented you. When I begged you to come home from work, then demanded you to leave. I had my ideas of how I wanted everything to be done, and that was it. You never...

I always felt Greg was scared about what I was going through. He blanked it out for as long as he could. Until he had to take note, something was wrong. That he thought I was being lazy or selfish. That he didn't actually understand what I was telling him. Although it is you that is suffering, your partner does also go through it with you. Whether they understand or not. They watch you change, they watch you shrink and withdraw. They may feel helpless. This is Greg aka Papa NICU, my partner of nearly 9 years and father to Elijah experience with PND/PTSD. Greg's Story I’m not saying I’m the perfect father but I will strive to do my best for Elijah. I see it all too often these days, people I know, friends, getting a girl pregnant and not dealing with the consequences or even trying to make their relationships work for the sake of the kids. I understand some people are just not meant to be together but that doesn’t mean you have to totally abandon your offspring, your own ...