Jamie Chung knows firsthand how difficult the first days of motherhood can be.
And the Big Hero 6 actress and husband Bryan Greenberg had an especially tough time as their now 4-year-old twin boys spent their first weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after they were born prematurely.
“One had a two-week stint and then graduated,” Jamie shared in an exclusive interview with E! News. “Our other child was there for a week.”
And as the 42-year-old explained, it was a “really scary experience” for both her and Bryan, 47, as they were first time parents holding their boys who were barely four pounds.
“You're hearing the heart rate monitors and seeing all these incubators,” Jamie recalled, “and what a wonderful thing to have these wonderful NICU nurses hold your hand through this entire experience, because it can be quite traumatizing.”
For the former reality star and her husband of 10 years, it really was just them and the NICU nurses navigating the experience together because their family wasn’t able to visit.
“Another great support were our friends,” Jamie added, including one pal who works as a NICU nurse and was "a great resource” for their questions.
Looking back on it now, she is still “eternally grateful” for the care she and her family received in the hospital.
The experience has led Jamie to partner with Carter’s Charitable Foundation, which is donating $50,000 to March of Dimes during National Prematurity Awareness Month in November to help raise awareness about premature birth and support families who are navigating their own NICU journeys.
“[March of Dimes is] a great organization that ensures the overall health and safety for all moms and premature babies,” Jamie shared. “It’s pretty incredible.”
Her time with her babies in the NICU also made her realize how important it is to have well-designed clothes for premature infants, which inspired another part of the clothing company's philanthropic work.
“For the last 20 years, Carter's has collaborated with NICU nurses and families on design,” Jamie explained, “like little kimonos and caps that make it a lot easier for the caretakers as well as NICU nurses.”
“As our children got bigger, accessibility is everything,” Jamie continued. “When you're changing a blowout, you got to have the zipper.”
And her children have certainly gotten bigger, with Jamie telling E! it happened in the blink of an eye.
“All of a sudden, they go from four pounds to 40,” she shared. “They really do grow up so fast.”
The Once Upon a Time actress is now doing her best to appreciate every moment, because she was so overwhelmed during the baby stage and couldn’t enjoy it as thoroughly.
“I was just on survival mode—burping, feeding, changing. It was really overwhelming,” she recounted. “But now I really make it a point to be present instead of rushing.”
She added, “It’s been a great joy and delight.”