When parents picture a baby’s first few days of life we usually think they’ll be spending it snuggling with us in a hospital bed and then coming home. So when our babies are whisked away for a long stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, our expectations have to change. And it can be really, really hard.


Being a NICU mama can feel isolating, but you’re not alone. There are other NICU families who share your experience, like Sarah and Matt Ryan, who plays for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

Sarah Ryan recently opened up on social media about finally being able to bring their twin boys home after the little ones spent more than a month in the NICU when she gave birth prematurely in February.

The NFL star’s wife writes in an Instagram post that her doctors placed her on bed rest on January 9 due to pregnancy complications. Six weeks later, she gave birth “under the watch of the amazing doctors and nurses at Northside Hospital,” the caption reads.

I have been MIA on here for awhile so I wanted to give a little update on what’s been going on the past few months. On January 9th I was placed on hospital bed rest due to complications with my pregnancy. After 6 weeks under the watch of the amazing doctors and nurses at Northside Hospital, our twin boys decided they were ready to make their arrival into the world. They were small but tough and fought their way through their time in the NICU to get strong enough to come home. Our first born, Marshall Thomas Ryan, was sent home after 5 weeks in the NICU. His brother John (Johnny) Matthew Ryan followed a week later. To say that having Marshall and Johnny at home is a dream come true for Matt and I would be putting it mildly. We are endlessly thankful for their doctors and nurses in the NICU who gave them the most incredible care and will forever hold a special place in our hearts. We are so grateful for our family and friends who we couldn’t have gotten through this journey without. And we thank everyone/all of you who checked in on us over these past few months. We so appreciate it. Now after a lack in posting I will be flooding your timelines with baby photos🤗 Exactly what I said I would never do🤷‍♀️

A post shared by Sarah Ryan (@sryan03) on

“They were small but tough and fought their way through their time in the NICU to get strong enough to come home,” she continues. “To say that having Marshall and Johnny at home is a dream come true for Matt and I would be putting it mildly.”

According to Today, Johnny, the second born, spent six weeks in the NICU, while Marshall, the first born, came home after five weeks. Ryan adds in her Instagram post, “We are endlessly thankful for their doctors and nurses in the NICU who gave them the most incredible care and will forever hold a special place in our hearts. We are so grateful for our family and friends who we couldn’t have gotten through this journey without.”

“And we thank everyone/all of you who checked in on us over these past few months. We so appreciate it,” she writes.

Her husband Matt also shared a cute-as-heck photo of their twin boys to his Instagram account with the caption, “Welcome our boys Marshall and Johnny. #Family #DadLife.

Welcome our boys Marshall and Johnny. #Family #DadLife

A post shared by Matt Ryan (@ryan_matt02) on

Every NICU mama may have a different story, but everyone shares some of the same feelings. Remember, NICU mama, you’re not alone.

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