Story Sanctuary

About 3 years into being a NICU nurse, Sammi was diagnosed with preeclampsia and delivered her son Connor at 26 weeks. On today’s episode, Sammi shares her birth and NICU journey, including how much of a “different world” it was being on the parent side of things in the NICU and her experience of transitioning to life outside the hospital after 203 days inpatient. We also discuss trach parent burnout, managing anxiety while inpatient, and differences in trach life over state lines.

Continue following Sammi and Connor's story @connor.chronicles on Instagram!

After coming to terms with the fact that they would be unable to conceive, LaTonya and her husband were surprised to find out in November of 2016 that they were expecting a child! Women become mothers every day and while mostly routine, occasionally there comes a transition into motherhood that could be ripped out of the script of a Lifetime Drama. On today's episode, LaTonya traces her remarkable journey into motherhood—from infertility to the NICU and eventually home with her beautiful daughter Kelsey. 

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘧𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘴, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘐𝘊𝘜.

Oftentimes, parents who have made it through a long-term NICU stay feel the call to help other families who are in the trenches. My guest this week is a lovely example of that. On today’s episode, Ashley traces her son Bode’s 4 month NICU journey, then shares how that experience inspired her to become a postpartum doula, specifically for moms facing NICU stays. ⁣ ⁣ 

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘐𝘊𝘜.⁣

In February of 2019, Jake and Cayla received devastating news during their 20 week anatomy scan. On today’s episode, this husband and wife duo share the story of their daughter Parker’s birth at 34 weeks and her arthrogryposis amyoplasia diagnosis, then take us on their NICU journey. We also discuss in-home nursing, adaptive sign language and finding joy despite difficult circumstances. 

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺’𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘺𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘢 (𝘈𝘔𝘊) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘐𝘊𝘜.

On today’s episode, Shamire shares the story of her son Julian’s birth and her family’s NICU journey. ⁣Julian was born at 26 weeks. At 29 weeks he developed NEC (a devastating intestinal disease) and had to be airlifted to a children’s hospital an hour away. He and his family spent the next 110 days at this hospital before settling at home. ⁣ ⁣ 

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩, 𝘕𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴 (𝘕𝘌𝘊) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘐𝘊𝘜.

This month’s meditation is a walking meditation. Walking meditations are meant to bring your mind and body in sync while on a stroll. It can be done at the park, in your neighborhood or even in your home. If sitting with your eyes closed to meditate is difficult for you, walking mediations are an alternative way to train the mind in awareness and being present in the moment. They can also be used to supplement sitting mediation practices.⁣ ⁣ 

These mediations are not only for medical parents! Everyone from any walk of life is welcome to set aside a few minutes to access the healing that can come from Story Sanctuary’s monthly guided meditations. Carve out some time and give it a listen! ⁣ ⁣ 

𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘰