ABSTRACT This study aimed to understand the feelings experienced by mothers of newborns admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This is a descriptive and exploratory qualitative study, conducted at a public / private midsize located in the western region of Paraná state. After project approval by the Ethics Committee, taped interviews were undertaken with eight mothers of infants admitted to the NICU. Data collection occurred in July 2011 and these were interpreted as content analysis, which emerged five categories. The results revealed that the news of the hospitalization of the child caused diverse feelings in their mothers, mostly related to the loss. It is necessary to sensitize all the staff who works in the area of Neonatology and train nurses so that they can provide emotional support to families during the rehabilitation process of the newborn.