by Hand to Hold Staff | Feb 15, 2021 | Mental Health, NICU Life
by Trish Ringley, RN When a baby needs time in the NICU, bonding with your NICU baby can feel like an unbearable hurdle to overcome. But of course, it’s still super important to do! Babies need their parents, and babies thrive when they form a healthy, strong bond...
by Hand to Hold Staff | Feb 1, 2021 | Life after the NICU, Mental Health
by Josie Glausiusz When moms-to-be ask, “What should I pack to bring to the hospital when I go into labor?” I often reply, as a joke, “how about a wet swimsuit?” That is what I carried in my backpack to Roosevelt Hospital in New York City on a cold Sunday in late...
by Hand to Hold Staff | Jan 25, 2021 | Mental Health
by Vedria E. Millage, LMSW and member of Hand to Hold Board of Directors In our society, there are unspoken expectations to go, go, go! Many consider rest to be indulgent and a privilege, resulting in feelings of guilt for taking a minute to focus on themselves. This...
by Hand to Hold Staff | Jan 11, 2021 | Life after the NICU, Mental Health
My baby’s first year was far different from what I was led to believe life after the NICU would be, and it caught me by surprise. This story was originally published in January of 2014 and has been updated. During my baby’s three-month NICU stay, I quickly learned the...
by Hand to Hold Staff | Dec 7, 2020 | Mental Health, NICU Life
I wanted to be the perfect mom. But I also wanted to make sure he wasn’t having any more episodes. By Arielle Lucas, Hand to Hold Family Support Specialist and mom to Qingston, born at 27 weeks. On a Thursday I was told my son, Qingston, would be discharged in...
by Katrina Moline | Nov 23, 2020 | Life after the NICU, Mental Health
As my son Bryce’s birthday neared, my dad, half accusingly and half curiously, asked, “Hey, what’s going on with Bryce’s birthday party? Aren’t you planning anything?” I hadn’t. And I still wasn’t sure I could. The truth was, I was avoiding it with everything I had....
