NICU Nurses, Here’s How You Can Win MamaRoo Swings for Your Unit

In honor of NICU Awareness Month, which started in September, the popular baby gear brand  4moms is helping out NICUs across the country by donating nearly $18,000 worth of MamaRoo baby swings to 15 different hospitals. 

The giveaway campaign from 4moms is being done in partnership with Project Sweet Peas, a non-profit that supports NICU families as well as families who have experienced infant loss and The Superhero Project, which raises money for NICUs, donates needed items like gift baskets for parents, and works to place Angel Eyes cameras so families who need to be away from their hospitalized infants can always keep a close eye on their little ones. 

All of the organizations involved are incredible and like any family who has experienced a NICU stay knows, every thoughtful gesture makes an entire world of difference. 

How to Win a MamaRoo for Your NICU Unit

The way the giveaway campaign works is simple: parents, families, or nurses can all nominate any NICU that they think is deserving to win the MamaRoo infant seat donation. In total, 15 hospitals will receive donations of the MamaRoo infant seats. 

4moms has sponsored this giveaway in the past, but this year has expanded its program to donate swings to 5 more hospitals, giving almost $10,000 more in product. Last year’s recipients were:

• Ascension Saint Vincent’s Hospital (Birmingham, AL)
• Elliot Hospital (Manchester, NH)
• Grandview Medical Center (Birmingham, AL)
• John Muir Medical Center (Walnut Creek, CA)
• Prisma Health Richland (Columbia, SC)
• Saint Joseph Hospital (Denver, CO)
• University of Maryland Medical Center (College Park, MD)
• Valleywise Health (Phoenix, AZ)
• Willis Knighton South (Shreveport, LA)
• Woman's Hospital (Baton Rouge, LA)

Because 4moms hopes to reach as many hospitals as possible, the 10 recipients from last year aren’t eligible for the gifting this year but can be nominated again in 2022. 

How MamaRoos Benefit NICUs

According to 4moms, the mamaRoo infant seat is instrumental in the NICU, especially because it can be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for babies experiencing symptoms of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). 

A 4moms representative tells Nurse.org that both doctors and nurses have found the natural bouncing and swaying motion of the MamaRoo Infant Seat to be a valuable tool for helping to calm and soothe these fragile patients when their families can't be there.  

If you’re not familiar with the magic that is the mamaRoo, allow us to explain it: unlike traditional baby swings, which only swing back and forth or sometimes, side to side, the mamaRoo is completely different. It doesn’t swing like a traditional baby swing but instead, bounces both up and down and from side-to-side, mimicking the motion of a baby being in a parent or caregiver’s arms.  

If you’ve never noticed how a baby will cry when you’re sitting down, but magically be happy again when you stand up and bounce them, you’ll understand exactly why the mamaRoo infant swing can be so helpful, especially in a NICU setting when babies need a lot of cuddling to thrive. The swing and seat combo provides much-needed movement as an extra “set of hands” for the hardworking and always-busy NICU nurses on the unit. 

Nominate a NICU

If you know of a NICU that you’d like to nominate (including your own, if you’re a NICU nurse!) you can fill out a form on the 4moms website to share about the NICU you’ve nominated and enter them to win. All you need to do to nominate a NICU is share a little bit of information about yourself, the NICU you’re nominating (you’ll need name, city, and zip code) and a 500-word submission about why you’d like 4moms to donate infant swings to that NICU unit. 

The 4moms website explains that the NICUs are chosen based on many different factors, including the submission story itself, how many times the NICU is nominated and if Project Sweet Peas or The Superhero Project are able to deliver in a market. The nomination submission period ends on September 30, 2021, so get out there and start nominating! 

Oh, and one last thing: 4moms also has another way to support NICUs if you’re already a mamaRoo infant swing owner--you can donate your gently used mamaRoo through 4moms partner program, Good Buy Gear, and in return, mamaRoo will donate one new infant seat to a NICU. Pretty cool, right?