In 2015 during a routine check up my wife contacted me to tell me to go to hospital as the twins were being delivered that night. This was at 33 weeks when they arrived they weighed 4.11lbs and 3.2lbs. We had been informed that Clara who is the smallest may have complications luckily she came out just small but very feisty and strong. Giles unfortunately developed breathing issues very quickly and had to go on a CPAP machine to help him breathe. 

So while my wife was recovering on the ward after her C-section i went to the NICU to find my children, I had no idea what i was walking in to that first night as both my babies are in incubators surrounded by lights flashing beeping machines and so many wires sticking out of them. I don't think i had ever preyed so much in my life as i did that night while trying to remember what questions my wife had asked me and what information the doctors were telling me.

Giles developed a slight hole in his lungs and his CPAP machine was replaced with high levels of oxygen in his Incubator which was keeping his O2 stats were they should be. He then started to develop jaundice so was given sunglasses and a blue light. 

After all that we were lucky we didn't have any major traumas or issues and thanks to the staff and the volunteers they kept us informed and after 5 weeks for Giles and 6 weeks for Clara we were all allowed to go home.

Not everyone is as fortunate as us. 

What spoons volunteers do is alleviate the stress and reduce the isolation of families who experience neonatal care. 

Our primary focus is supporting the whole family piratically and emotionally from the volunteers who have been in the same situation, This then frees up the NHS staff to do the clinical care.