by Hand to Hold Staff | Jan 11, 2018 | Life after the NICU
In a landfill somewhere there is a pale green Calvin Klein onesie. But I’ll get to that. Post-NICU, our 24-weeker was about nine months old, home with her dad and me. It was winter, and she had pneumonia. She was trached, on a ventilator with a three-foot...
by Hand to Hold Staff | Nov 20, 2017 | NICU Life
Since becoming a mom for the first – and last – time almost five years ago, I’ve experienced plenty of “bad mom” moments. Like letting my son eat ice cream for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. All in the same day. Or arriving home after picking him up...
by Hand to Hold Staff | Aug 3, 2017 | NICU Life, Nutrition
Breastfeeding in the NICU is a daunting task, but it can also be an amazing achievement. When we entered the NICU at 27 weeks and 6 days, I knew there was very little I could do to care for our newborn. Yet, there was one thing I knew could do more than any doctor or...
by Hand to Hold Staff | Jul 27, 2017 | Medical Info & Resources, Mental Health
As a parent, the range of emotions you experience are vast. When you become the parent of a medically fragile child, the experience becomes even more complex. While it is normal to have a range of feelings, you might find that these emotions become overwhelming and...
by Hand to Hold Staff | Jun 26, 2017 | Life after the NICU, Mental Health
When I was younger, people’s chosen family sizes always intrigued me. Why do they have that many (or few) kids? Why is there such a large age gap between those two children? Why am I 15 years old and dissecting other people’s family size? Of course now I know that...