Beyond the NICU

Hand to Hold’s Occupational Therapy Intern, Eliana Cutler, sits down with Kelli to discuss what an occupational therapist (OT) does, and what the role of an occupational therapist is in the NICU. Eliana also shares tips on how to integrate therapy into play with your baby. 

Eliana is an occupational therapy student and doctoral candidate at Midwestern University’s College of Health Sciences

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The NICU is hard. We’re here to help. 

Hand to Hold® is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English & Spanish.

Learn more or get support at handtohold.org

Follow Hand to Hold: 

facebook.com/HANDtoHOLD

Instagram: @handtohold

Twitter: @NICUHandtoHold

Our guest, Amber, sits down with Kelli to share her experience of being diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). Amber discusses how she advocated for herself and her unborn twin girls throughout the treatment of TTTS. Amber also shares more about her family's experience in the NICU, and how her girls are doing today. 

Introduction of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome by Dr. Moise. Dr. Moise is a Fetal Medicine Specialist and is also the Co-Director at the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center at Dell Children’s in Austin, Texas. 

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The NICU is hard. We’re here to help. 

Hand to Hold® is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English & Spanish.

Learn more or get support at handtohold.org

Follow Hand to Hold: 

facebook.com/HANDtoHOLD

Instagram: @handtohold

Twitter: @NICUHandtoHold

Our guest, Dr. Kenneth Moise, sits down with Kelli to discuss what a fetal medicine specialist does, what conditions they treat, and what parents can expect while in the care of a fetal medicine specialist.

Dr. Moise is a Fetal Medicine Specialist and is also the Co-Director at the Comprehensive Fetal Care Center at Dell Children’s in Austin, Texas. 

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The NICU is hard. We’re here to help. 

Hand to Hold® is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English & Spanish.

Learn more or get support at handtohold.org

Follow Hand to Hold: 

facebook.com/HANDtoHOLD

Instagram: @handtohold

Twitter: @NICUHandtoHold

Kelli welcomes guest, Lexi Losch, MA, LPC, NCC, discuss why maternal mental health matters, and the difference between “baby blues” and PPD. Lexi shares the symptoms of PPD, who is most likely to experience PPD, and the importance of addressing your physical needs as a new mom. In addition, Kelli and Lexi share resources for anyone who may be struggling. 

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The NICU is hard. We’re here to help. 

Hand to Hold® is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English & Spanish.

Learn more or get support at handtohold.org

Follow Hand to Hold: 

facebook.com/HANDtoHOLD

Instagram: @handtohold

Twitter: @NICUHandtoHold

Katrina discusses her preterm birth with her son, Bryce, and how the NICU can precipitate anxiety. Katrina also shares how her experience of bringing home a medically fragile baby impacted her anxiety, and which resources she found most helpful throughout her journey. 

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The NICU is hard. We’re here to help. 

Hand to Hold® is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English & Spanish.

Learn more or get support at handtohold.org

Follow Hand to Hold: 

facebook.com/HANDtoHOLD

Instagram: @handtohold

Twitter: @NICUHandtoHold

Nakeenya Wilson, of Black Mamas ATX, discusses her own traumatic birth experience and how that led to PTSD and PPD. She talks about how she got involved with Black Mamas ATX and the services the nonprofit offers. She also discusses the statistics surrounding black mothers and PPD. 

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The NICU is hard. We’re here to help. 

Hand to Hold® is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English & Spanish.

Learn more or get support at handtohold.org

Follow Hand to Hold: 

facebook.com/HANDtoHOLD

Instagram: @handtohold

Twitter: @NICUHandtoHold

 

The majority of self-care content out there seems to rely on having extra time and energy in your life (bubble baths and pedicures anyone?) The reality is those most in need of self-care typically have neither time nor energy to spare. How do we shift the self-care paradigm away from the idea of "treating yourself" and into the reality of learning to survive (and even thrive) in a season where everything seems to be falling apart?

KC Davis is a licensed professional therapist, author, speaker, and the person behind the mental health platform Struggle Care. KC’s compassionate and practical approach to self and home care for those dealing with mental health, physical illness, and hard seasons of life has drawn over a million followers on social media in less than a year. Her book, “How to Keep House While Drowning'' has sold over 27,000 copies and is currently an Amazon bestseller.

This episode was recorded live at our 2021 NICU Community Conference. 

Visit handtohold.org/conference to learn more or register for Hand to Hold’s NICU Community Conference, the only conference for NICU Parents and NICU professionals.

Every baby’s NICU journey is unique. As a parent, even if you have experienced the NICU with one baby, a NICU journey with another baby is far from predictable.  In this episode, we welcome Myra, a mother of three. Myra and her husband Allan adopted three babies, two of which had NICU stays. To further add to the complexity, both of the NICUs were out of state. Myra’s total NICU journey for both babies was 46 days. 

Sue Ludwig OTR/L, CNT shares more about her book Tiny Humans, Big Lessons: How the NICU Taught Me to Live With Energy, Intention, and Purpose.

Through real patient stories, reflection, and practical tools, Ludwig reveals how, by following the lead of those in her care, she found her way to a more vibrant, purposeful, and impactful life than she ever imagined possible―and how you can, too.

Having a baby in the NICU can be overwhelming and complicated. Imagine for a minute the added complexities of adopting a NICU baby.   Kristy and her husband David adopted their baby, Kevin, and met him for the first time when he was in his isolette in the NICU. During Kevin’s 8 week NICU journey, Kristy saw the importance of reaching out for help and interacting with other NICU moms who had similar experiences. Hear more about Kevin's story on our latest episode of NICU Now.