NICU Now Episode 1: You Are Not Alone – Coping with Guilt & Grief in the NICU
In this episode
- Kelli describes the overwhelming emotions upon meeting her micro preemie son, Jackson, for the first time.
- What is anticipatory grief and what does it mean for NICU parents?
- What emotions can parents expect when faced with a NICU experience/meeting their baby for the first time?
- Different ways in which grief and shame manifest themselves in NICU parents.
- How moms and dads process guilt/grief differently.
Resources mentioned in this podcast
- Preemie by Kasey Matthews
- Anticipatory grief, as described by Dr. Michael Hynan, NICU parent and Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Member of the Board of Directors of the National Perinatal Association
- Kara Wahlin, licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of NICU Healing
- C. JoyBell C., author
Additional resources
- Coming to Terms with Not Going to Term
- 5 Myths about the NICU and Your Mental and Emotional Health
- Techniques for Building Resilience in the NICU
- Postpartum Depression and PTSD in Fathers
- PTSD: How to Manage a Traumatic Birth Experience
Listeners may also find these resources helpful:
- Grieving and Coping After Your Baby’s Birth and Hospitalization in the NICU, from NICU Parenting
- A Parent’s Guide to the NICU – Emotional Responses of Parents, from Mercy Health
- Common Parent Reactions to the NICU, from HealthyChildren.org
- NICU Parents: A Secret Society, from NICU Healing
- Is Growth Possible After a Trauma? from NICU Healing
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