The NICU often leaves caregivers, and babies, with anxiety and overwhelm and sometimes something more complex, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Tiffany Gladdis shares the difference between anxiety and PTSD and what parents can do to address their triggers and receive treatment.
In this episode, we chat about:
How did you get interested in clinical psychology, specifically focusing on the NICU?
What's the difference between anxiety and PTSD?
What are some symptoms/markers of PTSD and how does a parent receive that diagnosis?
What are the treatment options?
A new term and diagnosis people are starting to hear is C-PTSD (complex PTSD). What's the difference between the two and might a NICU parent experience one or the other?
Can a baby experience PTSD? If so, symptoms? Treatment?
What's your best advice to a parent who's feeling overwhelmed, triggered or otherwise feeling like they need professional help to manage everything?
Dr. Tiffany Gladdis is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Neonatology and the Medical Director of the Office of Equity and Diversity at Children’s Mercy Hospital, as well as an Associate Professor at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Dr. Gladdis provides therapy and support to families in the Fetal Health Center, NICU, and NICU follow-up clinic and her clinical interests include attachment and bonding, trauma, infant and perinatal mental health, and BIPOC populations. Dr. Gladdis also serves on the board of Hand To Hold.
Connect with Dr. Gladdis:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tiffany-gladdis-willis-214ba1107
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hope.love.heal/
The NICU is hard. We’re here to help.
Hand to Hold is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English and Spanish.
Connect with Hand to Hold:
Learn more or get support at handtohold.org
Follow Hand to Hold on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handtohold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handtohold/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NICUHandtoHold
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HandtoHold
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Thriving Together [Full version] by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10332-thriving-together-full-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Bright Colors Of Life by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7855-bright-colors-of-life
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Did your baby just get admitted to the NICU? Feeling overwhelmed? Scared? Frustrated? Tired? Kathryn Whitaker, mom of six (including her own NICU baby), shares the things she wishes someone had told her upon admission. If you want to be seen in your NICU experience, this episode is for you.
In this episode, Kathryn shares:
A letter to NICU moms
How to advocate for your baby
Finding resources for your mental health
How to accept help and what to ask for
Kathryn Whitaker is the author of Live Big, Love Bigger, an award-winning book about living an intentional life and how her NICU baby helped her get there. She's a sixth-generation Texan who loves queso, cowboy boots and southern hospitality. On social media and her blog, Kathryn shares her honest take on family life and living in the chaos, all while drinking Dr Pepper and cheering on the Texas A&M Aggies. She has appeared in USA Today, radio and TV stations around the country and is a frequent guest/sometimes host on SiriusXM Radio. Kathryn and her husband, Scott, live with their six children in Austin, Texas.
Connect with Kathryn:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathrynwhitakertx
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathrynwhitakertx/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kathrynwhitakertx
Websites: https://kathrynwhitaker.net/
Read her letter, Dear NICU Momma:
https://kathrynwhitaker.net/2013/11/dear-nicu-momma/
Buy her book:
The NICU is hard. We’re here to help.
Hand to Hold is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English and Spanish.
Connect with Hand to Hold:
Learn more or get support at handtohold.org
Follow Hand to Hold on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handtohold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handtohold/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NICUHandtoHold
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HandtoHold
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Thriving Together [Full version] by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10332-thriving-together-full-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Bright Colors Of Life by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7855-bright-colors-of-life
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
The person that spends the most time with your child is likely a NICU nurse. NICU parent, former NICU nurse and current director of NICU nursing, Dr. Lisa Davenport, and I have an honest conversation about the highs and lows of nursing, what things have changed and how parents can have the best relationship possible with their baby’s NICU nurse.
In this episode, we chat about:
Of all the professions, why nursing and why NICU nursing?
What differentiates a NICU nurse from a pediatric or ICU nurse?
What are some of the first things a family can expect from their NICU nurse?
Can you explain a "primary nurse" and what that means to a family?
Share a bit about the family's access to their NICU nurses.
If a family has a difficult relationship with their NICU nurse, what should they do?
What are some of the key things NICU nurses do to be more effective in the NICU environment?
What's something that we're doing now in NICUs that we weren't when you first started? How has it changed the outcomes?
Let's talk about this "golden hour" you championed.
What's the best part about your job? Most challenging?
Dr. Lisa Davenport is a former NICU parent and the Director of Nursing for Texas Children’s NICU in Houston, Tex. Lisa’s experience as a NICU bedside nurse for 9 years fueled her passion for becoming a quality driven and people centric nursing leader. Additionally, Lisa serves as faculty for Texas Tech Health Science Center School of Nursing.
Connect with Dr. Davenport:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-davenport-dnp-rn-rnc-nic-5363b075
The NICU is hard. We’re here to help.
Hand to Hold is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English and Spanish.
Connect with Hand to Hold:
Learn more or get support at handtohold.org
Follow Hand to Hold on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handtohold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handtohold/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NICUHandtoHold
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HandtoHold
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Thriving Together [Full version] by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10332-thriving-together-full-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Bright Colors Of Life by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7855-bright-colors-of-life
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Your child’s pediatrician is likely one of their most important; it’s where all things begin. Author of the “411” series and revered pediatrician, Dr. Ari Brown, gives great insight on traits you should look for in your own pediatrician, vaccine schedules and resources to help you be the best advocate for your NICU baby.
In this episode, we chat about:
After receiving your degree in child development, what made you pursue a career in pediatrics?
What are things your pediatrician should be looking at and considering if your child is a NICU graduate? What traits should you consider in your pediatrician to best serve your child?
When should a parent consult a pediatrician and when should they seek counsel from an additional specialist for their child?
What should the relationship look like between a child’s pediatrician and their other specialists?
In an age of digital medicine, i.e. Dr. Google, how do you counsel your parents on when to seek medical care and when to treat things at home?
Describe the ideal pediatrician-patient relationship.
Let’s talk about delayed vaccination schedules for medically fragile children.
Tell us about your books: Baby, Expecting and Toddler 411. What can reader’s expect?
For a NICU parent who feels hyper-sensitive to every symptom their child presents, what’s your best advice?
Ari Brown, MD is a practicing pediatrician in Austin, Texas, for over 25 years after completing her pediatric residency and fellowship in developmental/behavioral pediatrics at Harvard Medical School/Children's Hospital Boston. Her passion to advocate for children and educate families extends beyond the office setting. She is the author of the bestselling "411" parent education book series including Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year with the new 20th anniversary/10th edition out this year, Toddler 411, and Expecting 411 available where books are sold and on Amazon. She also hosts online courses on newborn care and sleeping through the night. She has appeared on numerous national news and talk shows including NBC's Today Show, Dr. Phil, and CNN. She is a trusted voice for children's health, serving as a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Dr. Brown has received the American Academy of Pediatrics Lifetime Achievement Award for child health advocacy.
Connect with Dr. Brown:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/baby411
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/expecting411
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aribrownmd
Website: https://baby411.com/
Buy Dr. Brown’s books:
Learn about Dr. Brown’s online newborn care and sleeping courses:
The NICU is hard. We’re here to help.
Hand to Hold is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English and Spanish.
Connect with Hand to Hold:
Learn more or get support at handtohold.org
Follow Hand to Hold on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handtohold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handtohold/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NICUHandtoHold
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HandtoHold
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Thriving Together [Full version] by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10332-thriving-together-full-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Bright Colors Of Life by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7855-bright-colors-of-life
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license