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...
Tummy Time with Your NICU Baby: How to Do It and Why It’s Important
by Eliana Cutler, Hand to Hold’s Occupational Therapy Intern, occupational therapy student and doctoral candidate at Midwestern University’s College of Health Sciences. Tummy time is a great way to interact with your baby while helping them improve strength,...
Occupational Therapy in the NICU and Beyond
by Eliana Cutler, Hand to Hold's Occupational Therapy Intern, occupational therapy student and doctoral candidate at Midwestern University's College of Health Sciences. What is occupational therapy? According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (2021),...
Sarah Inbau named Hand to Hold’s Chief Growth Officer
Hand to Hold, a national nonprofit that provides personalized emotional support, educational resources and community to NICU parents, is excited to welcome Sarah Inbau as Chief Growth Officer. Inbau had previously served on Hand to Hold’s Executive Board of...
Lydia M. Contreras, PhD, named Hand to Hold Chair of the Board
Hand to Hold is excited to announce that current board member, Lydia M. Contreras, PhD, has been named Chair of the Board for 2022. Dr. Contreras has served on Hand to Hold's Board of Directors since 2019. Dr. Contreras is an Associate Professor and the Laurence...
A Second NICU Stay; an Unexpected Heart Surgery
"Love for another baby in the NICU was not an emotion I was allowing myself to feel again." by Christine Tester Moving to another country is always exciting, but it was made all the more so when we found out we were pregnant with our third child just a few weeks...
Celebrating Valentine’s Day in the NICU
Valentine's Day in the NICU isn't ideal, but it can be a fun opportunity to bring a little joy and celebration into the NICU and focus on the love you have for your baby. Here are just a few ways you can mark this love-filled occasion in the NICU and with your...
Unique Ways to Support NICU Parents: Ideas for a NICU Care Basket
Your family member or friend just had a NICU baby, and you are eager to provide help and support wherever possible but aren’t quite sure where to start. The first weeks and sometimes months, while the baby is in the NICU, are very stressful for parents. One of the...
5 New Year’s Resolutions for NICU Families
A new year is an opportunity to look back and reflect as we look forward to what's next. What New Year's resolutions do you have for your family?
6 Tips for Coping with Grief During the Holidays
The holidays can be an especially difficult time for those experiencing grief. So many holiday routines and activities revolve around the gathering of family and friends. Yet, bereaved parents may not feel up for celebrating as usual or embracing holiday...
3 Ways to Relieve Holiday Stress for NICU Families
When parents have a baby in the NICU, it can be difficult for friends and family to anticipate how to most effectively help them through this stressful and difficult time. We've put together three solid ways in which friends and family can help someone in the NICU...