Saint Peter's University Hospital Opens Free Boutique For NICU Babies

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — On Aug. 9, Saint Peter’s University Hospital Children’s Hospital opened its first-ever Bless U Baby Boutique, a shop of donated items and gifts for parents whose babies have been admitted to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Located directly across from the NICU, the boutique is filled with new toys, books, outfits, hats, blankets and personal care items. All the items are given free of charge to parents who have newborns admitted to the NICU.

The idea for the boutique came from Dolly Allen, who worked for years as the nurse manager at the Saint Peter's NICU.

“I have seen that the parents of unwell or premature babies often get cheated out of the best part of being new parents," she said. "They sometimes don’t have the opportunity to have baby showers, and holding their babies is sometimes delayed because of illness."

She said she wanted to open the boutique give NICU parents and older siblings "a sense of normalcy during a very challenging time.”

“Families with a baby in the NICU are often caught off guard by their baby’s early arrival,
said Allen. "This has left them little to no time to shop for those essential items needed to care for their baby at home."

Families are given a pair of booties and mittens and can peruse through the donated items. Every family is also given a set of rosary beads; Saint Peter's is part of a Catholic health system. Parents who have other children at home can shop for a toy for older siblings. All items are packaged with luxury gift wrapping.

Jamie Gunderman from Flemington knows firsthand:

In 2011, her twin boys, Jacob and Joshua, were born 12 weeks early at Saint Peter’s University Hospital. One of her sons had to be in the NICU for 96 days while the other was there for 84 days. Due to a collapsed lung, one of the twins was on a ventilator during his stay.

“It was scary. There were complications with the pregnancy, so we knew the boys were going to come early, but we didn’t expect them to come quite so early,” said Gunderman. “No matter how much you prepare yourself ahead of time, hearing that your babies have to be admitted to the NICU is scary and not truly what you imagine your experience to be with your newborn.”

Today, her boys are 11 years old and are thriving — thanks to the quality of care they received from Saint Peter's when they were premature newborns.

And Gunderman is now a volunteer at the Bless U Baby Boutique, where she hopes she — and the boutique — can give parents a sense of calm. And more importantly, a sense of hope.

“When my babies were admitted to the NICU, I was a nervous wreck, but I knew the doctors, nurses and other staff here were taking incredible care of my boys. I’m still so thankful for that to this day," said the mother. "I want other parents to know that their babies are in good hands at Saint Peter’s. I volunteer here and share my story with other NICU parents so they know they’re not alone and there’s hope.”

To make a monetary donation in support of the NICU or the Bless U Baby Boutique: https://www.saintpetershcs.com...

Saint Peter’s is home to a state-designated Regional Perinatal Center that provides an exceptional level of care to women experiencing a high-risk pregnancy. Saint Peter's also operates a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The hospital is certified in Perinatal Care by The Joint Commission and is the state’s first to be verified as a Level IV Maternal Care facility by them. Its midwifery-led Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center is one of the few hospital-based, midwifery-led birth centers in the country and features birthing suites designed with a home-like atmosphere. See it when it first opened: St. Peter's Hospital: Take A Tour Of New Midwife Birth Center (2019)

Saint Peter’s University Hospital was named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2023, a prestigious award presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.