Blog
Black NICU Moms: Honoring the Past and Strengthening the Future
by Vedria E. Millage, LMSW and member of Hand to Hold Board of Directors Black History Month is an annual time to honor the rich culture and significant accomplishments of Black Americans throughout history as well as acknowledge shared experiences. While this is a...
Beyond the NICU Podcast Miniseries Focuses on Maternal Mental Health
In partnership with Sage Therapeutics, we've released a 5-episode miniseries on the Beyond the NICU podcast on the topic of maternal mental health in the NICU and after. Listen to all five episodes today, and subscribe to Beyond the NICU wherever you get your...
5 Lesser-Known Strategies for Bonding with Your NICU Baby
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...
How to Bond With Your NICU Baby
Bonding with your NICU baby is not easy, but it is crucial not only to the infant’s health, but to your own. Parent interaction with a full-term baby is often immediate: holding, feeding, soothing. But when the unexpected happens and your baby is instead taken to...
NICU Parent Perspective: Glimmers of My Early Treasures
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...
Making Space for Rest
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....
NICU Parent Perspective: After the NICU, My Mental Health Requires Regular Care
by Jenni Kistler My mental health journey has been a challenging one for as long as I can remember. In college, I battled depression so badly I had no choice but to take a semester off to focus on getting well. Therapy several times a week and finding medications...
My Painful Misunderstanding of the Transition to Life After the NICU
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...
Boldly Walking into 2021
“Storms are opportunities for growth, revelation and miracles.” Early in the pandemic, I wrote this quote on a bright orange sticky note and stuck it on my desk by my home computer so I'd see it every day. I don’t remember where I heard it. But it has been a...
The Real Impact of Peer Support in the NICU: Jack & Andrea
When NICU families talk about what helped get them through their NICU stay, the transition to home, and the sometimes tumultuous months that can follow, it's peer support in the NICU - support from other parents who have been down a similar road - that often has...
NICU Parent Perspective: We Have Hope in Whatever Lies Ahead
Before my twin sons were born at 23 weeks, I’d never heard of the NICU. But it was a place I would soon come to know well during our 296-day stay. by Valerie Rodriguez, mom to Cristiano and Cruz My entire pregnancy had been a surprise, but nothing prepared us for...
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