Dear NICU Mama

In this week’s episode, we’re continuing part 2 of our C-section roundtable with Ashley, Aisha, and two incredible NICU mamas from our community, Lindsay and Kristen. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, we encourage you to start there because today we’re picking up right where we left off!

In this part of the conversation, we move into what happens after delivery. We talk about recovery, the unexpected moments, and the emotional layers that can follow a C-section. From navigating healing while your baby is in the NICU, to the complicated relationship many of us have with our scars, this conversation gently holds space for all of it.

As you listen, we hope you continue to feel seen, held, and encouraged in your own c-section and birth journey. You are worthy of care, support, and the time it takes to heal. You are never alone!

To get connected with DNM:

Website | Private Facebook Group | Instagram

Support the show

In this week’s podcast episode, we are sharing a replay episode from a c-section roundtable with Ashley, Aisha, and two incredible NICU mamas from our community, Lindsay and Kristen!

In this honest and gentle conversation, we share about the moments leading up to our C-sections, whether they were unexpected, emergent, or part of a high-risk journey, and what it felt like to walk through a birth experience that maybe didn’t look the way we had hoped or planned.

We talk about the loss of control, the decisions made in an instant, the things we remember (and the things we don’t), and the layers of healing that come after. We also hold space for the grief that can exist alongside deep love—and begin to gently reframe what it means to give birth through a C-section.

If you’ve ever struggled with your birth story, felt disconnected from your delivery, or wrestled with accepting your scar, this episode is for you.

As you listen, we hope you feel seen, held, and reminded that your story matters here. You are seen and loved! 

To get connected with DNM:

Website | Private Facebook Group | Instagram

Support the show

In this week’s podcast episode, we share the story of Sharon and her journey of becoming a NICU mom to her twin daughters after a high-risk pregnancy.

After learning she was expecting twins, Sharon’s pregnancy quickly shifted as one of her daughters experienced growth restriction, leading to frequent monitoring, weeks in the hospital, and ultimately delivering her girls at 30 weeks via C-section.

Sharon shares vulnerably about meeting her daughters in the NICU for the first time, navigating two different NICU journeys, and what it looked like to care for her babies while also loving her two children at home. She also reflects on the ways her faith and community carried her through and what life looks like for their family today on the other side of the NICU.

Sharon’s story is one of surrender, resilience, and the power of community. As you listen, we hope you feel encouraged to take this journey one day at a time. You are not alone, NICU mama!

To get connected with DNM:

Website | Private Facebook Group | Instagram

To join us for Celebrate Courage 2026, head here!

Grab your copy of "Right On Time" here!

Support the show

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Brent and Suzette to share the story of their daughter Chloe and her journey with a rare mitochondrial disorder. What began as a typical pregnancy quickly shifted into a complex medical journey marked by uncertainty, advocacy, and deep resilience.

Brent and Suzette vulnerably reflect on receiving Chloe’s diagnosis of Leigh Syndrome, navigating hospitalizations and developmental changes, and learning how to care for and advocate for their daughter while holding both grief and joy at the same time. Now 17 years into their journey, they offer powerful wisdom on partnership, perseverance, and choosing hope in the face of the unknown.

You’ll also hear how Chloe’s life and children like her, continue to inspire a greater mission through Morgan’s–creating inclusive spaces where individuals of all abilities are seen, valued, and celebrated.

As you listen, we hope you feel seen, supported, and reminded that even in the hardest moments, you are not alone!

The Mission of Morgan’s: To improve the quality of life for individuals of all ages and all abilities through initiatives that produce fully-inclusive, Ultra-Accessible™ experiences.

To get connected with Morgan’s:
Website | Instagram | Facebook

About Brent: Brent is the Chief Executive Officer of Morgan’s, a family of ultra-accessible, fully inclusive spaces designed with individuals with disabilities in mind and built for everyone to enjoy. With over 30 years of executive leadership experience across education, healthcare, research, and social services, Brent brings both strategic vision and heart to his work. Under his leadership, Morgan’s has grown to include a theme park, sports complex, camp, multi-assistance center, and inclusion institute, impacting communities on a local, national, and global level.

To get connected with DNM:
Website | Private Facebook Group | Instagram

Support the show

It’s time for another Mamas Call In episode! Our call-in episodes are some of our favorites because it gives us the chance to hear from this remarkable sisterhood.

This month’s prompt was: “What would you tell a NICU mama who just received a new diagnosis for her baby or NICU grad? What is something you would want her to know?” 

From reminders that you are not alone, to giving yourself grace in the unknown, to taking things one heartbeat at a time, this episode is filled with the words so many of us NICU mamas need in the tender seasons of NICU parenthood.

Thank you to each of you who submitted voice memos and reflections! Our next month’s prompt is, “What words of hope would you offer another NICU mama this Mother’s Day?” To call in and share your heart, head to our form here!

To get connected with DNM:

Website | Private Facebook Group | Instagram

Support the show

In this week’s episode, in honor of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, we’re hosting a powerful roundtable conversation sharing real, honest stories from NICU moms navigating this diagnosis with their NICU miracles. Melissa, Vilma, Andrea, and Aisha together share about what it’s like to hear the words Cerebral Palsy for the first time, why it can feel so heavy, and how that understanding shifts over time. We unpack the reality that CP is a spectrum and that no two children and no two journeys look the same.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How each of them processed the diagnosis and learned to hold both grief and joy at the same time
• The importance of early intervention, advocacy, and letting your child lead the way
• What it looks like to navigate therapies, school systems, and support services
• The emotional realities of motherhood, relationships, and life after the NICU

More than anything, this conversation highlights the power of community and how reaching out, finding support, and walking alongside other moms can be essential on our healing journeys.

As we recognize Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, we hope this episode brings greater understanding, compassion, and hope. Your child’s unique story is still unfolding, and you are not alone!

To get connected with DNM: Website | Private Facebook Group | Instagram

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.

To get connected with NICU Alumni: Website

Support the show

In this week’s podcast episode, we continue Emilee’s story as she shares what life looked like after Oakley’s diagnosis and their transition home from the NICU. Emilee opens up about navigating the unknowns of Oakley’s rare genetic deletion, making decisions about medical interventions like a G-tube and hearing devices, and adjusting to life at home with a medically complex baby. She also reflects on the learning curve of advocating for her son, finding confidence in her voice as a mom, and the ways her own childhood growing up alongside a brother with the same diagnosis has shaped her perspective.

Emilee shares vulnerably about the challenges of the early days at home, the importance of celebrating small wins after the NICU, and how she and her husband continue to prioritize their relationship while navigating the realities of medical parenting.

As you listen to Emilee’s story, we hope it reminds you that both grief and joy can exist at the same time, and that even in the most uncertain seasons, you are capable, resilient, and never alone.

To listen to part 1, listen here!
 
To get connected with DNM:

Website | Private Facebook Group | Instagram

Support the show

In this week’s podcast episode, Emilee shares Part 1 of her son Oakley’s unexpected NICU journey, a story marked by emergency decisions, a rare genetic diagnosis, and a powerful full-circle moment within her own family.

After a healthy pregnancy, Emilee delivered Oakley six weeks early via emergency C-section when she noticed decreased movement in the middle of the night. What began as low blood sugar and a short NICU stay in their small Colorado town quickly turned into a transfer to Children’s Hospital, where Oakley was diagnosed with a rare genetic deletion on his X chromosome called UBE2A.

In an emotional twist, Emilee's family soon discovered that her older brother, who had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy his entire life, shares the exact same genetic deletion.

In this conversation, Emilee's shares the moment she knew something wasn’t right, the whirlwind of those early NICU days, and what it was like to receive an uncertain diagnosis. She also reflects on growing up alongside a medically complex sibling and how the strength her parents modeled now shapes the way she and her husband parent Oakley.

Emilee's story is one of resilience and unexpected hope in the middle of the unknown. We hope it reminds you that even in moments of uncertainty, you are capable, you are supported, and you are never walking this road alone.

To get connected with DNM:

Website | Private Facebook Group | Instagram

Support the show

It’s time for another Mamas Call In episode! Our call-in episodes are some of our favorites because it gives us the chance to hear from this remarkable sisterhood.

This month’s prompt was: “If you could go back in time and share a word of love with yourself while you were fresh in the NICU, what would you tell her?”

From reminders to breathe, to choosing patience, to giving yourself permission to rest, cry, and not have it all figured out, this episode is filled with the words we all needed then… and honestly, still need now.

Thank you to each of you who submitted voice memos and reflections! It is such a gift to hear your hearts and to hold space for these important reminders.

Our next month’s prompt is, “What would you tell a NICU mama who just received a new diagnosis for her baby or NICU grad? What is something you would want her to know?”

To call in and share your heart, head to our form here. We’d love to hear from you!

To get connected with DNM:

Website | Private Facebook Group | Instagram

Support the show

In this week’s podcast episode, Jessica shares the remarkable story of becoming a NICU mom through adoption. She opens up about her and her husband’s journey through foster care, infertility, and the unexpected call that would introduce them to their son, Noah. Just weeks before his birth, they learned he had a complex congenital heart defect, along with other medical concerns that left doctors unsure if he would survive.

Jessica vulnerably walks us through Noah’s early arrival, his emergency transfer to a Level IV NICU, a terrifying code event at one month old, and ultimately his open heart surgery at just four months of age. She shares what it felt like to hand her baby over at the operating room doors, how NICU nurses carried hope for her when she could not carry it herself, and the tension of learning to fully embrace her role as mom while honoring Noah’s birth mother. Jessica also reflects on the emotional transition home after 84 days in the hospital and what it looked like to slowly rebuild life and create new memories beyond survival mode.

Today, Noah is thriving and living a full, joyful life. His story is one of resilience, courage, and deep trust in the midst of fear!

As you listen to Jessica’s story, we hope that any heart mama, adoptive mama, or NICU mama in the thick of it feels seen and heard. You are not alone.

To get connected with DNM:

Website | Private Facebook Group | Instagram

Support the show