Katrina discusses her preterm birth with her son, Bryce, and how the NICU can precipitate anxiety. Katrina also shares how her experience of bringing home a medically fragile baby impacted her anxiety, and which resources she found most helpful throughout her journey. 

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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 & Spanish.

Learn more or get support at handtohold.org

Follow Hand to Hold: 

facebook.com/HANDtoHOLD

Instagram: @handtohold

Twitter: @NICUHandtoHold

Nakeenya Wilson, of Black Mamas ATX, discusses her own traumatic birth experience and how that led to PTSD and PPD. She talks about how she got involved with Black Mamas ATX and the services the nonprofit offers. She also discusses the statistics surrounding black mothers and PPD. 

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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 & Spanish.

Learn more or get support at handtohold.org

Follow Hand to Hold: 

facebook.com/HANDtoHOLD

Instagram: @handtohold

Twitter: @NICUHandtoHold

 

The majority of self-care content out there seems to rely on having extra time and energy in your life
(bubble baths and pedicures anyone?) The reality is those most in need of self-care typically have neither time nor energy to spare. How do we shift the self-care paradigm away from the idea of "treating yourself" and into the reality of learning to survive (and even thrive) in a season where everything seems to be
falling apart? KC Davis is a licensed professional therapist, author, speaker, and the person behind the mental health
platform Struggle Care. KC’s compassionate and practical approach to self and home care for those dealing with mental health, physical illness, and hard seasons of life has drawn over a million followers on social media in less than a year. Her book, “How to Keep House While Drowning'' has sold over 27,000
copies and is currently an Amazon bestseller.

This episode was recorded live at our 2021 NICU Community Conference. 

Visit handtohold.org/conference to learn more or register for Hand to Hold’s NICU Community Conference, the only conference for NICU Parents and NICU professionals.

Every baby’s NICU journey is unique. As a parent, even if you have experienced the NICU with one baby, a NICU journey with another baby is far from predictable.  In this episode, we welcome Myra, a mother of three. Myra and her husband Allan adopted three babies, two of which had NICU stays. To further add to the complexity, both of the NICUs were out of state. Myra’s total NICU journey for both babies was 46 days. 

Sue Ludwig OTR/L, CNT shares more about her book Tiny Humans, Big Lessons: How the NICU Taught Me to Live With Energy, Intention, and Purpose.

Through real patient stories, reflection, and practical tools, Ludwig reveals how, by following the lead of those in her care, she found her way to a more vibrant, purposeful, and impactful life than she ever imagined possible―and how you can, too.

Britney Dehnert describes her NICU experience with the birth of her daughter, how journaling and poetry helped her through her NICU journey, and how different art forms can allow us to participate in self care.

Nashville-based singer and songwriter JJ Heller joins Kelli to discuss her popular lullaby Hand to Hold and how it is soon launching as a beautifully illustrated children's book. 

Kelli and Media discuss what diaper dermatitis is and how it affects premature babies. They talk about the best practices to prevent it, including feeding and diaper changes.  

Sarah speaks about her NICU journey with her daughter and how that led her to write Early. Kelli and Sarah talk about a NICU parent’s response to COVID-19.

Kelli and Lexi discuss the emotions most commonly experienced in the NICU and wow to process them in a healthy way. They also talk about PPD and its symptoms, and how the COVID-19 crisis can bring many of these emotions back to the forefront. 

Kelli and Melinda discuss the term "fetal development interrupted" and why nutrition so important for preemies. They talk about how milk can be medicine for newborn babies and how it can aid in a baby's developing gut. 

Mia discusses her own NICU experience and her emotions when she eventually went back to work. She talks about how to be transparent at work and in the NICU and the importance of self-care. She also discusses how the NICU trains you to be an advocate and leader.

What is RSV? What are its symptoms and when should you take your child to the hospital? Can RSV be prevented?

Along with Sue Ludwig and Dr. Raylene Phillips, Kelli discusses the differences between early term and late pre-term babies. They talk about reasons these babies typically have to stay in the NICU, issues surrounding thermoregulation, sepsis, and jaundice. They also discuss the emotional impact of even a short NICU stay.

Brandon and Jessica discuss having their daughter in the NICU and learning about the different nutritional options available. They advocated for a human milk fortifier for their daughter, using their network and own research. 

Deb Discenza speaks about her NICU experience with her daughter and finding out her daughter was receiving a bovine-based fortifier in the NICU. She discusses how her NICU experience led her to start Preemie Magazine and Preemie World. 

Kelli speaks with the CEO of Prolacta Bioscience, Scott Elster, about the process used by Prolacta and who the company serves. Scott speaks about the nutritional needs of NICU babies and explains where Prolacta obtains the milk it uses and how women can donate their milk.

Dr. Mitch Goldstein explains what NEC is, who it typically affects, its symptoms, and treatment. He also discusses what parents should ask about their baby's nutrition in the NICU. Kelli then speaks to Stephanie Vaughan whose son contracted NEC while in the NICU. Stephanie speaks about his journey back to health and how she eventually started The Morgan Leary Vaughan Fund to educate other parents about NEC.

Kelli and Jennifer discuss Jennifer’s high-risk fourth pregnancy with her daughter, Joy. Jennifer speaks about her experience on bed rest at home and at the hospital and how that led her to writing both of her books. She talks about the depression that can accompany bed rest and the challenges that arise when on bed rest with other kids at home.

Kelli and Crystal discuss Crystal’s experience of giving birth to twins after being on bed rest. Crystal talks about how journaling and working with a musical therapist was helpful during her bed rest journey.

Kelli and Darline discuss Darline’s experience with bedrest during her first pregnancy and how that led her to founding Mamas on Bedrest & Beyond. Darline talks about common challenges women face on bed rest, helpful nutritional tips, and how doctors and nurses can better support women on bed rest.

While on strict bedrest in 2010, Melissa Hinnant needed something to do to keep her mind and her hands occupied. She decided to crochet her daughter a blanket. Tragically Melissa lost the baby, but she continued to crochet. More than six years later, Melissa is now the mother of three children and is the founder of the multimillion-dollar women’s apparel company, Grace and Lace. 

Joining us is licensed family therapist Kara Whalin. Kara is uniquely qualified to address this issue because she knows the sorrow of the loss of a baby, the toll of a lengthy NICU stay and the joy of helping others who now walk in her shoes.