Blog
Hand to Hold® Provides Mental Health Support for Texas Children’s Hospital NICU Families
Hand to Hold's Certified Mental Health Peer Specialists help NICU parents feel more confident in bonding with their baby, proven beneficial for long-term outcomes and positive care for the infant. HOUSTON, June 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hand to Hold, a national...
Setting Boundaries in the NICU and at Home
Setting boundaries along our micro preemie journey was about encouraging physical, developmental, and emotional health, for all of us. We began setting boundaries prior to the birth of our micro preemies at 28 weeks, 5 days. It started while we tried to get...
Does Life After the NICU Get Easier?
Life with a preemie - and life after the NICU - is all about getting comfortable with the unknown. I had changed many diapers before, but the first time I changed my own baby’s diaper was different. I needed a nurse to show me the process. With my hands inside an...
Feeding Your Preemie: Infant Formula 101
This article has been updated and reviewed for accuracy by Trish Ringley, RN. Hurray! NICU discharge day is around the corner! As you prepare to take your preemie home, you may walk down the infant formula aisle for the first time. The aisle is overwhelming. There...
Team Hand to Hold 2021: Every Step Counts!
Team Hand to Hold wants YOU! Whether you run, walk, fundraise, or volunteer, we want you on our team! Thanks to Austin Gives Miles, Hand to Hold is proud to be an official charity for the Austin Half Marathon and KXAN Simple Health 5k on April 25, 2021! Each year...
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...
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....