Blog
Staying Sane on Hospital Bed Rest
Some links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, Hand to Hold will earn a commission if you make a purchase. Bed rest and I were not friends. In fact, we were enemies. There’s not a bad word strong enough to explain how much I hated it. Bed...
New Mobile App inLieu Makes Giving Easy
It's often an unmet need that drives people to create something new, and it was no different when Austin's Kathy Terry thought of creating a mobile app that would make giving easy and meaningful. First, Terry was frustrated at the fact that she often felt obligated...
Bereaved Parents Awareness Month
July is annually recognized as Bereaved Parents Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness of the support necessary when one endures the loss of a child. Over the years we have had the bittersweet pleasure to feature the heartfelt words of parents who...
Life After Loss: How to Start Your Grief Journey
By Brittany Clay On April 4, 2016, I had an experience that I didn’t even realize happened to people. After days of being in pain, I went to the hospital, only to have my water break. The nurse told me I was in labor. “But ma’am, you must be mistaken. I’m only...
Meet the Professional: What Does a Patient and Family Advisor Do?
Oftentimes when families are discharged from the NICU, a part of their healing process includes a strong desire to give back to the NICU, their healthcare team and the hospital where they received care. More and more hospitals across the country are embracing...
What You Need to Know About Bringing a Baby Home on Oxygen
Bringing a baby home on oxygen may feel scary, but with a little practice you will learn quickly and feel empowered caring for your baby. Giving a baby extra oxygen involves a lot of monitoring, handling foreign equipment and stepping out of your comfort zone to...
I Never Knew There Could be a Future So Bright
Last week my husband and I took our son, a former 24-weeker, on his first college visit. I was overcome with emotion as we sat through orientation, remembering the long months in the NICU, when I wondered if he would even survive, much less graduate with academic...
Make Sure NICU Families Have a #FutureSoBright
Summer is finally here! As the days get warmer and the sun gets sunnier, Hand to Hold challenges YOU to shine bright for NICU families. Let's show everyone that NICU families have a #FutureSoBright they need shades! Here's how you can help make sure NICU families...
The NICU Heroes Podcast is Here!
Hand to Hold believes that NICU parents are often just as fragile as their babies. Nurses are in a unique position to acknowledge and address many of the challenges families face during a NICU stay and beyond. Yet few NICUs offer staff education in optimal methods...
Celebrating your NICU Dad on Father’s Day + Free Printable for Dad
On a Saturday we sat in the NICU conference room listening to a doctor tell us our son would likely never walk, talk, or cognitively develop past the age of a five or six year old. The next day was Father’s Day. I did nothing to celebrate my husband. I was...
Everything is Together, Why Am I Falling Apart?
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...