Some Lovely words of encouragement - Testimonials

Belle kindly gifted me one of the packs containing her book ‘One Day At A Time ‘ it’s just a pity it was 25 years late !!! What an amazing comfort this book would have been when our son was born a healthy 9lb 5 oz only to be rushed to neonatal intensive care when he was 9 days old and diagnosed with a coarctation of the aorta. This book would have been such a help and comfort to myself and my husband during those desperately difficult days . The knowledge and understanding could only be written by the most knowledgeable gentle and thoughtful nurse I know ….. Belle . I think it would be essential for every parent of a child in neonatal intensive care to have access to this book . It would be such a comfort to understand what is going on and why. From the bleeping noises and the alarms on the monitors ( which still cause me anxiety even when I hear them in Casualty on TV !!! ) to the fears and anxiety due to the uncertainty and volatility of being in NICU. The ups and downs, highs and lows and emotional rollercoaster this book covers it all…….and more . What a help and support this book would have been to us in our journey. Congratulations Belle , Sian and everyone involved in this project ….. WELL DONE !

Lesley & William Mealiff

Such a special gift to parents of these premature / sick babies. The book is so well thought out and full of comforting words and thoughts. Such a kind thing to devote your time to,Belle Stevenson in continuing to extend your experience as a neonatal nurse and understanding what parents go though at this difficult time . Keep up the good work. Well done to both you and your daughter, beautifully illustrated book.

Anna Foy

Unfortunately didn’t receive the book when in NICU with my little boy. I had the privilege to receive it when I got home from the one and only Belle💙 When going into hospital to have a baby you think you’ll be home with your bundle soon after, however this is not the case all the time. My newborn baby spent 1 week in Nicu separated from me after delivery. The feeling of going home without your baby was daunting, worrying and sad😌 this book is amazing for parents and really gets you thinking and normalises our heartbreaking feelings that we feel during this sad time . The book is so well written and I will cherish mine forever not to forget the cute pictures and teddy bear that came with it🐻 I couldn’t explain to someone how I felt at this challenging time but the book is just spot on✨ Thank you Belle xxxxx

Marie McGettigan

I can speak about this beautifully created book from 2 perspectives one being a neonatal nurse myself & secondly from being a mammy of a preterm infant who spend 5 weeks in neonatal myself with my little son. When a baby is admitted to the neonatal unit it can often be a very frightening time in a new parents life. The environment can be quite daunting with lots of strange noises, alarms and beeping sounds. One day at a time illustrates what a parent can expect when their baby is admitted to the Neonatal Unit, it's the perfect guide for a new parent on the neonatal journey. As a neonatal nurse myself I feel these books would greatly benefit parents and Its written in a very gentle & calming manner which is perfect for helping to alleviate & reduce stress levels in new parents. From a parental point of view myself I feel the book is very soothing & provides a degree of relief to parents knowing that their baby is going to be in a safe place being looked after by the highly qualified neonatal nurses. The book also normalises feelings of parents aswell which is lovely as often parents go through a whirlwind of emotions during this time. The actual title is what I myself say to parents on a regular basis to take "one day at a time" when providing reasurrance to them. The pictures are very accurate yet they have been designed in such a beautiful and gentle way. Thank you Belle for all your hard work you put in to create & design these amazing books, I wish you every success in the promotion & distribution of them to neonatal units, they are fabulous

Nicola Feeney

After three experiences in neonatal units, you’d think I’d be a dab hand at it. But the truth is—every single time has been so different.
My most recent experience with Charlie, who’s now two, was by far the toughest. He was born at just 30 weeks and spent seven long weeks in the neonatal unit in Craigavon. At the time, I had two young children at home, and after giving birth, I became seriously ill with two infections that led to a three-week hospital stay.
There were days I was so unwell, I couldn’t even make it down to the neonatal ward to see him. The guilt was overwhelming. Not being able to be with your baby in those first precious weeks—it’s something that stays with you.
And just when I thought we were through the worst of it, my husband and I both caught COVID. After I was finally discharged, we weren’t allowed to visit Charlie until we were ten days clear. That was possibly the most heartbreaking part. He was there, fighting and growing, and we couldn’t even hold him.
The staff were absolutely incredible. They emailed us photos and videos of him being bathed and read to. They arranged Zoom calls, but I found them too painful—watching him on a screen when all I wanted was to have him in my arms was more than I could bear.
There’s no manual for navigating preterm births. No right or wrong way to cope. But I know that if I’d had a copy of Belle’s book during that time, it would have been a comfort—something to help me make sense of the chaos, the fear, and the love that comes with having a baby in neonatal care.

Clara Maybin

Our wee miracle Nancy-grace was born at 29 weeks due to pre-eclampsia. She was 11 weeks early, so tiny at 2lbs 9oz. We spent 13 weeks in NICU. It was definitely a roller coaster of emotions. Nothing prepares you for that walk out the hospital doors without your baby. Luckily I was blessed by living so close by and the nurses were on the other end of the phone no matter what time it was. I can still hear the beeps of the machines and the memories of not being able to have skin to skin once she was born. It absolutely broke me. I sat by her side day and night talking to her and reading books. The birthday party, I had to order a copy to read each year on her birthday. I would've loved to have Belle's amazing wee book at the time, it would have bought me so much comfort as my mental health really went downhill and continued to go down when we got home. Nancy-grace is now 2 years old. At the start of our journey I didn't have hope of seeing her grow but my god she has done so well ... thanks to Belle and the other amazing girls at NICU no words could thank them enough they didn't just look after Nancy-grace but also myself. They will always hold a special place in my heart

Carla McClean

Our beautiful twin girls were born on the 18th of July, 7 weeks early. While we were lucky that they weren’t very sick, they were very small and needed extra care, so they spent three weeks in the neonatal unit.
We didn’t get to experience skin to skin when they were born and we didn’t get to hold them for the first three days, which was difficult. They were under lights for jaundice and had little masks on so we didn’t even get to see their wee faces at the beginning. We tried our best to stay positive as they only needed to get a little bigger, then we could finally get them home and finally get the wee obligatory photo with their daddy carrying them out of the hospital in their car seats.
What really got me through was the support of the neonatal nurses, the lovely Belle being one of them. I cried to them many times, and they were always there with advice, with reassurance, and so much feeding support. I’ll never forget their kindness.
Looking back, I wish there had been more mental health support available for parents like us. That’s why I think Belle’s book is so special. Written from the baby’s perspective, it gives gentle, practical tips to help parents cope while their little one is in neonatal care. I know it would have brought me a lot of comfort at the time.

Sheree Russell

I am so proud of Belle for creating this special pack for parents in the neonatal unit. As far as I can remember Belle has been so passionate about perinatal mental health and is an advocate and voice for those babies and parents who experience the unit. Belle has donated packs to every trust in NI, and I look forwards to the second edition.

William Hyndman

Amazing little book for parents of babies in Neo-natal. We loved to read it to our older kids too when our twins were in the NICU and they couldn’t visit them. It helped them understand what was happening to the boys and how they could support and love them once home! Thank you so much One Day at a Time! ♥️

Emma Jayne O Donnell