by Kelli Kelley | Jun 11, 2018 | Family Stories, Life after the NICU, Mental Health
Cake – check. Party napkins, plates, cups – check. Cute invitations – check. Everything is together, so why am I falling apart? The first birthday of any child is reason for celebration, but when a baby is born preterm or with a special health care need, the first...
by Hand to Hold Staff | May 31, 2018 | Life after the NICU, NICU Life
Planning and preparing for the arrival of a new baby is an exciting time. Many expectant parents spend a great deal of time and money stocking their homes with the latest and greatest gadgets to make caring for a little one easier. But when the birth of a baby comes...
by Hand to Hold Staff | May 21, 2018 | Life after the NICU
I have the benefit of looking back over a decade to see what part of occupational therapy (OT) made a strong impact. At first, it was confusing. I did not understand why it was called “occupational,” as if it has to do with one’s job. Much of what we do with fine...
by Hand to Hold Staff | May 10, 2018 | Life after the NICU, Mental Health
I first read Dr. Seuss’s My Many Colored Days last year when my then 4-year-old son brought it home from preschool and requested I read it to him. My Many Colored Days is children’s book to help children understand the wide range of emotions all of us...
by Hand to Hold Staff | Mar 5, 2018 | Life after the NICU
Remember the saying, “Expect the unexpected?” It applies here too. On NICU discharge day. Just like there are processes and procedures while your baby is in the NICU, there are processes and procedures for leaving the NICU. The NICU nurses will not send...
by Hand to Hold Staff | Feb 22, 2018 | Life after the NICU
The day before I delivered my preemie at 29 weeks, via emergency c-section, I was at work, feeling exhausted and uncomfortably swollen. I also had nagging headache that would only get progressively worse throughout the next 24 hours. However, despite my increasing...
