Blog
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 have...
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...
Is This Normal? How the NICU Impacts Your Emotional Health
Having a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit is a traumatic experience. No one is ever really prepared. You have probably felt emotions during your baby’s NICU stay that you never imagined feeling. You have celebrated things you never knew you would and seen...
A 3-Step Guide to Recruiting a Primary NICU Nurse
Essential Baby Gear for Preemies
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...
Answering Your Children’s Questions About a Baby in the NICU
Having a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit is a difficult time in any parent’s life. Trying to balance your need to be with your baby in the NICU with responsibilities at home and work is challenging under the best circumstances. But when you have other...
Hand to Hold Named 2019 Groundfloor Fellow
Everyone needs to get in on the ground floor, right? Hand to Hold is thrilled to announce that we have been accepted as a 2019 fellow into the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas's GroundFloor program. GroundFloor is a mentor-driven social innovation fund and impact...
Occupational Therapy, Art & Drumming
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...
Kangaroo Care: Give a Helping Hug
We all remember the first time we held our baby. For some it was with in the first few moments after birth and for others it might not have been for a few days to weeks. For me it was three days - the longest three days ever. It was on that third day that one nurse...