Dear NICU Mama

Happy Mother's Day, beautiful NICU mamas! We wanted to make space this week to celebrate how wonderful YOU are.  On this week's special episode, we have the pleasure of sharing some words of love and encouragement from the Dear NICU Mama sisterhood around the country!

We hope that you take time this week to honor your unique and special motherhood journey. You are loved, you are seen, and you are never ever alone.

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On this week's episode, we are sharing part 2 of Allison and Amos' NICU journey! In this episode, we learn about Amos' medical journey to a liver transplant. From the first indications of something wrong with his liver during his NICU stay, to a confusing and stressful time at home after discharge, and ultimately to the very rapid decline in his health that landed him back in the hospital, unable to return home until he received the life saving gift of a new liver. April is also National Pediatric Transplant Week, and we feel honored to share such a remarkable story in honor of this special week!

We hope that any transplant mamas listening feel honored and celebrated throughout this episode and throughout this week of honoring pediatric transplant journeys.

To listen to part 1 of Allison + Amos' journey, head here!

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On this week's episode, we have the opportunity to share part 1 of Allison's motherhood journey with her precious son, Amos! At 25 weeks, Amos was born via emergency c-section after Allison's water broke early. Throughout this episode, we learn about Allison's pregnancy journeys and how they differed from each other, as well as Amos' NICU journey and how Allison balanced time with her NICU baby and daughter home.

We hope that preemie mamas and mamas with older kids at home listening feel seen and validated. You are more than enough NICU mama and you are never, ever alone.

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We are BACK! After months of never ending illness and family transitions, we are officially back to connecting with you all on the podcast and we couldn’t be more excited. On this week's episode, we have the honor of sharing Sara's NICU journey with her sweet boy, Connor! At 22 weeks, Sara experienced PPROM and ultimately delivered Connor at 23 weeks and 4 days. Throughout this episode, we hear about Connor's early moments in the NICU, his Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) diagnosis, and how healing has been three years out of the NICU.

We hope that mamas navigating those dreaded eye exams or are learning about ROP treatment options feel seen and heard. And no matter where you are on your own healing journey, we hope this episode reminds you that you are never ever alone.

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This week’s episode is a special episode because it is a Mamas Call In episode! We are nearing the end of cold and flu season. (And all NICU mamas said hooray!) But we did want to take a moment to have a conversation about navigating illness after NICU. Throughout this episode, Martha and Ashley share about their own personal experiences with illness after NICU and what words of hope they would offer other NICU mamas who find themselves in a similar place.

We also asked NICU mamas in our sisterhood to call in and share their stories and any words of encouragement they have for other NICU mamas navigating illness or hospitalization after NICU. Our hope is that this episode reminds you that in and out of the NICU, you are never ever alone. 💕

Thank you to Lome for sponsoring this week’s podcast episode! Head to withlome.com/dearnicu to learn more and try Lome for free!

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On this week’s episode we have the opportunity to have a conversation with the one and only Anese of The Breakthrough Mama! Not only is she a licensed maternal mental health specialist, but she is also a NICU mama herself who has dedicated her practice to serving and empowering high-risk pregnancy mamas and NICU mamas. Because safety and feeling grounded are necessary to begin the process of healing, this episode is dedicated to the topic of establishing safety within our bodies.

 In this episode we cover:

• What are some ways that trauma can reveal itself in the body, and how can we listen to what our bodies are telling us?
• What does it mean to be grounded and how can we do this when we are feeling triggered or unsafe?
• What does it feel like to feel safe in the body? What does it feel like to not feel safe in the body? What is one way a mom can find safety in her body?
• How can a NICU mom seeking out therapy advocate and find a qualified provider in her area that is willing to do the hard inner work?

We hope this episode reminds you that you are not alone and also gently reminds you that just because something is common, doesn’t mean it has to be your standard. You are worthy of the time and investment it takes to heal.

Anese Barnett is a veteran NICU mama to a now rambunctious toddler who is the inspiration for her work and research. She is a perinatal mental health therapist and clinical psychology doctoral student who is passionate about improving mommy's mental health, especially for those experiencing high-risk pregnancy and the NICU. Anese uses her personal and professional experiences to help NICU mamas and women with high-risk pregnancy find the healing, peace, and joy they deserve. Her dream is to see every NICU in this country equipped with the necessary psychological resources to help parents journey through the unexpected. 

To get connected with Anese:
Instagram 

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This podcast episode is not an attempt to practice medicine or provide medical advice. All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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In honor of heart month, this week's episode is part 2 of Michaela’s motherhood journey with her daughter and heart warrior, Mia. After Mia’s 20 week ultrasound, she was diagnosed with congenital heart disease and a mass in the middle of her face. Mia was born via c section at 39 weeks and after 155 days in the cardiovascular ICU fighting for her life.

Because of the severity of her heart defects (DORV, TGA, Hypoplastic RV, Pulmonary Atresia, and VSD) she ended up having three heart surgeries in the first 6 months of her life. After her birth, the mass on her face was diagnosed as a mature teratoma (tumor). Because of the presence of the tumor, Mia has a severe facial cleft that causes vision and nasal airway problems. The tumor was removed when she was almost 4 months old.

Throughout this episode Michaela shares about how Mia has proven to be a warrior and pursued through every obstacle she came up against; including 4 major surgeries, cardiac arrest, an hour of CPR and two weeks of ECMO support. She has a long road ahead of her with another heart surgery, an unknown amount of facial surgeries and navigating life with a visible facial difference, but for today, Mia is thriving at home. She loves playing with her sisters and is the happiest 2 year old her parents have met!

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February is heart month! And on this week's episode, we have the honor of sharing part 1 of Michaela’s motherhood journey with her daughter and heart warrior, Mia. After Mia’s 20 week ultrasound, Mia was diagnosed with congenital heart disease and a mass in the middle of her face. Parents, Michaela and Jared, spent a lot of the next 20 weeks preparing for Mia’s birth and what life might look like after raising a child with severe birth defects. Mia was born via c section at 39 weeks and then spent the next 155 days in the cardiovascular ICU fighting for her life.

Throughout this episode Michaela shares about Mia’s delivery, Mia’s first moments in the NICU, and how their family began to prepare for Mia’s many upcoming surgeries. We hope that this episode affirms any of our heart NICU mamas or medically complex NICU mamas that you are never ever alone!

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It’s year three of the Covid pandemic, and many of us are at our breaking points. For those of us who have immunocompromised children or have journeyed through the NICU during this time, the pandemic has brought an additional set of challenges and it has taken a major toll on our collective mental health. But NICU mama, you are not alone.

This week’s episode is a conversation with the one and only Natalie Reiter with Prairieland Counseling all about mental health, pandemic fatigue, and how we can continue to navigate it all with self-compassion.

In this episode we cover:

• What is pandemic fatigue and how can we move through it?
• What does realistic mindfulness look like and how can we make time for it?
• What are some gentle practices we can implement to regulate our anxiety and our emotional highs and lows?
• How do we find a licensed maternal mental health therapist? What can we do in the meantime while we are on a wait list or are searching for the right provider?

NICU mama, we hope this episode affirms that if you find yourself struggling, you are not making this up. This is hard because this is really really hard. Know that sisterhood is with you, believes in you, and is so very proud of you. You can do this. We will do this together.

Apps Mentioned in Episode:

• Calm: https://www.calm.com/
• Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/
• Stop Breathe Think: https://stopbreathethink.com/

Therapist Resources Mentioned in Episode:

• Postpartum Support International: https://www.postpartum.net/
• Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/psychiatrists
• Therapy Den: https://www.therapyden.com/

Suicide Hotline Number: 800-273-8255

Natalie specializes in reproductive mental health which includes peri-natal, post-partum, infertility, infant loss, paternal mental health, and the impact on couples. She has received specialized training in perinatal and post-partum mental health from Postpartum Support International, and was recently selected as the 2019 Outstanding Mental Health Counselor by the North Dakota Mental Health Counseling Association for my work with reproductive mental health. Her work as a child birth educator and her two children have sparked her passion of working with reproductive mental health!

To get connected with Natalie:
Website | Instagram | Facebook

To get connected with DNM:
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On this week’s episode, we have the honor of sharing part 2 of Jules’ NICU journey with her daughter, Juliana! When Jules was 25 weeks pregnant, her and her husband were hit in a head-on collision by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. After a one hour ambulance ride and close monitoring at the hospital, they discovered that her placenta had abrupted 70 percent from the impact of the crash. Juliana was delivered 12 hours after the accident via emergency c-section at 25 weeks.

After 105 days in the NICU and a life-saving brain surgery, they embarked on their journey at home as a family! After they were home, Juliana was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Throughout this episode Jules shares about their first moments together at home, how her and her husband processed Juliana’s initial diagnosis and how they continue to advocate for Juliana today, and also how they have healed and grown as a couple.

We hope that this episode affirms any medically complex NICU mamas listening that you are not alone. You can do this and have a sisterhood walking this journey with you! To listen to Jules' Part 1 episode, head here.

To get connected with DNM:
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