Hi, I’m Meredith.

Like many NICU moms, I never imagined our story would begin the way it did.

In December of 2024, I knew something didn’t feel right. After multiple doctor visits and continuing to advocate for myself, we finally learned that my water had broken much earlier than anyone realized. On December 16th, we were admitted to the hospital, and just two weeks later, our daughter was born at only 27 weeks.

What followed was the hardest season of our lives.

Our family spent 117 days in the hospital, including 103 days in the NICU. Between the fear of emergency procedures, unexpected complications, and the emotional exhaustion that comes with having a medically fragile baby, every day felt heavy.

Eventually, our daughter was diagnosed with dysphagia, and suddenly we were learning things we never expected to know as parents — NG tube feeding, tube insertion, feeding schedules, and how to safely use Gelmix. Every small milestone felt huge, and every setback felt heartbreaking.

At the same time, we were also trying to care for our one-year-old daughter, who was too young to visit her baby sister in the NICU. Many days, Julio stayed at the hospital while I stayed home, or vice versa. We constantly felt pulled in two directions, trying our best to be present for both of our children while simply surviving ourselves.

We were incredibly blessed by family, friends, and people who stepped in to help us during that time. But even with support, there were still so many everyday things that felt impossible to keep up with — laundry piling up, cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, grocery runs, and all the little errands that don’t stop just because your baby is in the NICU.

I remember wishing there was one trusted place we could turn to that wouldn’t break the bank. Not three or five different companies charging extra for one-time services, but one place that understood both the emotional and practical side of what NICU families go through.

That’s why we created NICU Neighbors.

Our goal is simple: to help families focus on their baby while we help with the rest. Whether it’s laundry, home cleaning, lawn care, errands, grocery shopping, or simply having someone to talk to who truly understands the NICU journey, we want families to feel supported, seen, and a little less overwhelmed during one of the hardest seasons of their lives.

Because we’ve lived this too.