Blog
Tell the Story of Your Grief
There is no language to adequately describe the experience of losing a pregnancy or an infant. Our culture often hopelessly unaware of the grief experience. Neonatal death, stillbirth, and pregnancy loss are parts of life many don't want to acknowledge. If you have...
The First Bath at Home After NICU
The First Bath at Home After NICU
The first bath at home after a NICU stay may feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. I have completed two first-time baths at home after NICU stays. My first son, Harrison, was born at 32 weeks, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces, and spent 34 days in the NICU. My second son, Harland, was born at 28 weeks, weighing 1 pound, 11 ounces, and spent 293 days in the NICU.
Introducing the Beyond the NICU Podcast!
Introducing the Beyond the NICU Podcast!
Introducing Beyond the NICU, a podcast for families in the days, weeks, months and even years after a NICU stay. Because we all know the journey doesn't end when you leave the NICU.
Staff Spotlight: Family Support Specialist Cristal Carrasco
Staff Spotlight: Family Support Specialist Cristal Carrasco
Today we're introducing you to Cristal Carrasco, one of our amazing Family Support Specialists. Cristal administers our Ambassador Program in the NICU at Seton Medical Center Austin, providing vital support to parents, leading weekly support groups and hosting special events for holidays and other celebratory opportunities. Most recently she helped celebrate NICU nurses with a fun coffee bar for Neonatal Nurses Week. Let's get to know Cristal!
The NICU Doesn’t Leave You – Nikki’s Story
The NICU Doesn’t Leave You – Nikki’s Story
I don’t like to call it a NICU stay because it’s not just to stay. When your time in the NICU has been completed, that experience, that memory, that emotional roller coaster never leaves you. It takes a while to gain control and understanding of your feelings. And for some, including me those memories haunt you for time to come.
Celebrating Neonatal Nurses Week
Celebrating Neonatal Nurses Week
September 9 - 15 is Neonatal Nurses Week! Established in 2000 by the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN), members of the neonatal community use this time to honor their nurse colleagues and show their pride in being a neonatal nurse. For NICU parents, it's a time to honor and celebrate the nurses who not only cared for our babies, but who cared for us as NICU parents and the entire NICU family.
How Having a Peer Mentor Helped Me Go from Surviving to Thriving
How Having a Peer Mentor Helped Me Go from Surviving to Thriving
Photo courtesy of the author After the birth of my daughter at 32 weeks pregnant via an emergency C-section, I found myself in complete survival mode. My only focus was getting to the hospital twice a day and pumping as much as I could for her. I literally could...
Going from TPN to Feeding Success in the NICU
Going from TPN to Feeding Success in the NICU
My son Calvin was born at 32 weeks gestation via C-section after he went into distress and stopped moving. His delivery was further complicated due to his diagnosis of Gastroschisis. Gastroschisis is a congenital anomaly that occurs early in gestation. Basically, he had a hole in his abdomen which led to his small and large intestine developing on the outside of his body. Because his gastrointestinal system was so compromised, I had a pretty strong determination to breastfeed from the beginning.
From Healthy Pregnancy to Traumatic Birth and a Full-Term NICU Baby
From Healthy Pregnancy to Traumatic Birth and a Full-Term NICU Baby
As I progressed through my pregnancy, I relaxed each time we passed a milestone. After I reached 36 weeks, I breathed a sigh of relief because, if my baby were born, he or she would probably survive. My attitude as I made it to 41+1 weeks was downright cavalier. I had an extremely normal, healthy pregnancy. So, as I reached my due date and proceeded to plow right through it, I thought, “I am going to go into labor, pop this kid out and be home in two days.” Although it works this way for some women, in my case, it could not have been farther from the truth.
Why Breast Milk is Important for Your NICU Baby
Why Breast Milk is Important for Your NICU Baby
Pediatricians and lactation consultants agree human milk is the best nutrition for babies. For the NICU baby, it can be a life-saving medicine. The anti-inflammatory properties of breast milk play a big role in preventing many diseases and conditions. Human milk decreases the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis, meningitis, viral infections, urinary tract infections and respiratory infections. Infants born too small or too soon are at increased risk for these illnesses. Breast milk also protects the gut, enhances brain development and is associated with a shorter hospital stay.
Your Late Preterm or Early Term NICU Baby
Your Late Preterm or Early Term NICU Baby
When we think of preemies, we think of extremely tiny babies born several weeks or months before their due date. But did you know that even babies born just prior to 37 weeks gestation are still considered preemies and still have a higher probability of facing developmental challenges? We're going talk about what a late preterm baby and an early term baby is, they might need to stay in the NICU, and the unique challenges they face in the NICU and beyond.
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