Blog
Breastfeeding Basics in the NICU
Breastfeeding can be challenging under the best of circumstances, but when your baby is in the NICU, a whole new set of challenges presents itself. Every family’s feeding journey looks different. Feeding your baby may not look the way you imagined it, but feeding...
When Your NICU Baby is Full Term
When we mention our son was in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) we are always met with people jumping in and asking if he was premature. He wasn’t. We then look up to find a questioning expression, as if people don’t quite know that a full-term baby could be...
Our Seasons of Life Help Us Help One Another
by Heather Nichols My name is Heather Nichols, and I am from San Antonio and have been living in Austin since my days as a UT Longhorn undergrad. As a 2018 co-chair for Hand to Hold’s Baby Shower Luncheon, this year’s theme, Seasons of Life: Strength from the...
Lauren Monroe and Mimosa Boutique Named Hand to Hold Family Support Champion
Lauren Monroe doesn't have a NICU experience, but she does relate to the difficulties that parents can encounter when trying to start a family. It was this personal experience that led her to Hand to Hold's website, where she discovered all of the avenues of...
Parents Share What Their NICU Milestone Beads Mean to Them
Parents love celebrating their baby's milestones. But in the NICU, milestones have a very different meaning. Instead of bonding with their baby through snuggles and first feedings in the postpartum wing of the hospital, parents of NICU babies are scrubbing up at a...
The Joy of Helping Others in the Miracle League
by Jackson Kelley I felt awkward, unsure and hot standing in the Texas afternoon sun by the first base dugout. The coach seemed nice as he gave me a firm handshake and a reassuring smile, but I knew this would be unlike any baseball season I had ever experienced....
Coming Home During Flu and RSV Season
I would venture to guess that every mother has some level of germ-awareness during flu and RSV season. I know with my firstborn, full-term baby I did. I could spot a germy kid in her daycare class and hear the shopper coughing two aisles over in the grocery store....
If I Could Tell a New NICU Parent One Thing…
We asked members of our online communities to share their advice for new NICU parents and they came through with so much great advice, we couldn't possibly include them all here. Here are some of the highlights parents want you to know about life in the neonatal...
Help a NICU Parent Today: Become a Volunteer Peer Mentor
“I don’t ever want another NICU parent to feel alone like I felt.” This is what Hand to Hold founder Kelli Kelley said when she started the peer mentor program that has been the driving inspiration behind Hand to Hold. Despite being surrounded by friends and...
Stevee’s Story: Duodenal Atresia
The following is from Hand to Hold community member Lacy. If you are interested in sharing your story, email leighann@handtohold.org. What were the circumstances surrounding your child’s birth? At my 20 week anatomy ultrasound, Stevee wasn’t cooperating and the...
Becoming a NICU Mom Made Me a Better NICU Nurse
by Laura Guardia The day my daughter was born took three years in the making. My husband and I struggled with infertility: seven IUIs (intrauterine insemination), a surgery for endometriosis, and one round of IVF (in vitro fertilization) later, we got our miracle...