Dear NICU Mama

This week’s podcast episode is a replay from a former season of the Dear NICU Mama podcast! As we continue our conversation of growing our families after the NICU and approach the Valentine’s Day holiday, we couldn’t think of a more valuable series of episodes to share than our Sex & Intimacy after NICU and/or Birth Trauma series. We know this conversation can be a tender one, but we hope that...

We have the honor and privilege of welcoming back Parijat Deshpande back to the Dear NICU mama Podcast! And today we have a gentle and trauma informed discussion about high-risk pregnancy after NICU. In this episode we cover: How do we know if we are ready for another pregnancy? What questions can help couples answer this for themselves? What does it mean to have a high-risk pregnancy? Will stress...

This week’s podcast episode is a replay from a former season of the Dear NICU Mama podcast! As we continue our conversation of growing our families after the NICU, we wanted to make sure to re-share this episode as we know that many of us in this community find ourselves as one-and-done families. We hope that this podcast episode affirms the NICU mamas in our sisterhood that have decided or are ma...

On today’s podcast episode, we have a roundtable discussion about growing our families after NICU! Co-hosts Martha and Ashley and team members Sara and Kendra take turns sharing about their own personal journeys to either deciding to be done carrying children, their journey to becoming pregnant again, or how they currently find themselves in the middle of the decision making process. No matter whe...

Welcome back, beautiful mamas! We hope you were all able to find moments of joy during the holiday season and that your start to 2023 has been wonderful. We are kicking off season six with co-hosts Martha & Ashley reflecting on their break, as well as previewing this season's theme: Growing Your Family After NICU! We are so excited to launch this new season and share some remarkable NICU...

This week’s podcast episode is a special one! Not only is this week’s episode the final episode of season 5, but it’s also a “Mamas Call In” episode! We asked this sisterhood, “NICU mama, who is someone during your NICU stay that became like family? What moment with them do you remember the most?”, and the responses were absolutely beautiful. It has been an amazing season 5 and we cannot wait to c...

Cold and flu season, pandemic, RSV oh my! On this week’s episode, we are sharing a replay of an episode we recorded in season 4 where we had the opportunity to sit down with a very well-known and respected pediatrician in the Fargo Moorhead area, Dr. Stephanie Hanson with Sanford Health. Dr. Hanson has 11 years of pediatric experience, and in her practice has seen many NICU grads come through her...

It's spooky season! And this week, we have the pleasure of welcoming back Natalie Reiter with Prairieland Counseling to discuss the topic of "spooky" or intrusive thoughts. In this episode we cover: What are intrusive thoughts and how can we identify them? What are common intrusive thoughts that NICU parents might experience? What are some practical things NICU moms can do when intr...

On this week’s podcast episode, we have the honor of hearing the miraculous NICU journey of Mateo! Throughout this episode, Mateo’s mom Paola shares about her high risk pregnancy and delivery, Mateo’s triumphs and setbacks during his 4 month NICU stay, and how Mateo is thriving as a four year old today with Kniest Syndrome. To the medically complex NICU mamas in our sisterhood, we hope you feel se...

Join us for Dear NICU Mama's annual conference 'Courage Lives Here' on November 5th! This virtual conference is for both past and present NICU moms, birthing parents, and the providers that support them! Featuring Hilary Waller, MS, LPC, Director of Education and Programming/Psychotherapist at The Postpartum Stress Center, and Parijat Desphande, renowned high-risk pregnancy speciali...

For many families in the NICU community, specialist appointments and recurring hospital stays are not uncommon. And it can feel challenging to know how to not only navigate their ongoing medical challenges and procedures, but also to ensure that they feel seen, heard, and validated throughout their experiences. Which is why we are thrilled to have a conversation with Dr. Eric Riklin of the UCLA Fa...

This week’s podcast episode is a special roundtable episode with co-hosts Martha and Ashley, and editorial team member Lindsay all about bonding with our NICU babies! Throughout this episode we hear about their own personal experiences of feeling and building a bond with their babies, some of the triumphs and challenges they experienced with bonding, and how they have continued to bond with their...

This week, we have the privilege of speaking with Katie Taylor from Child Life On Call ! When bonding with your baby and navigating the world of the NICU feels isolating and difficult, a child life specialist may be a really wonderful advocate to have in your corner. In this episode we cover: How can I bond with my NICU baby when I am sharing the role of a caretaker with so many other people? How...

We have the honor of welcoming Dr. Frankie Harrison of Miracle Moon to the Dear NICU mama Podcast today! And we are having a discussion all about engaging with social media in a way that honors our hearts and the places we are at in our healing journeys. In this episode we cover: What is power of storytelling and sharing our journeys, specifically on social media? What are some ways that we can ge...

 On today’s podcast episode, we have a seat around the table with DNM Podcast co-hosts, Martha and Ashley, as they share their personal journeys of returning to work after their NICU journeys! Throughout this episode we hear their personal reflections on how they navigated the fears of sending their child to daycare, and how they knew that returning to work was the right decision for them and thei...

On today’s podcast episode, we have the honor of having a roundtable discussion with three remarkable stay-at-home moms! Kendra, Lexxa, and Sara share about their own personal journeys of becoming stay at home moms after their NICU journeys, and how they have navigated and embraced this new life transition. Throughout this episode we hear their personal reflections on the challenges of leaving a c...

We have the honor and privilege of welcoming back Parijat Deshpande back to the Dear NICU mama Podcast! And today we are learning all about trauma in the body, specifically trauma in the body after we come home from the NICU. In this episode we cover: What happens to the brain/body connection as a result of trauma? Why does this happen?  What are some ways trauma can show up in our bodies after a...

This week’s podcast episode is part 2 of Kate’s NICU journey with her twin girls, Remmy and Reese! In part 1 Kate shared about the twins’ delivery and separation surgery, and in part 2 we hear more about the remainder of their NICU journeys and how they are thriving with their busy family at home. To the medically complex NICU mamas in our sisterhood, we hope you feel seen and heard throughout thi...

This week, we have the honor of hearing part 1 of Kate's NICU story with her conjoined twins, Remy and Reese! Throughout this episode, Kate shares about her high-risk pregnancy journey, her first moments with the girls and their NICU journeys leading up to their separation surgery, and also what it was like to get to know her girls not only as twins but also as as two new individual girls aft...

On this week's episode, we have the honor of hearing from Martha and another Dear NICU Mama team member, Aisha, about their experiences with grief after infant loss. If you are not in the right space to hear stories of loss, it’s okay to honor your heart and save this episode for another time. To the loss mamas in our community, we hope this podcast episode is a gentle reminder that you are n...

When we think of grief, we often think of grieving someone that has passed away. But what about when we grieve something we have lost, like an experience or the motherhood journey we always envisioned we would have? On this week's episode, we speak with Jessica Hotchkiss from Praireland Counseling Services about grief and its relation to NICU motherhood.  In this episode we cover: Myths and t...

Welcome to season 5! We have missed connecting with you all here on the podcast, and we are so excited to be back. Throughout this episode, Martha and Ashley share about some of the upcoming episodes releasing in season 5, and they also share about Walking Letter of Hope Day which is happening on August 6th, 2022! This signature event is designed to honor all of you—the Walking Letters of Hope for...

This week, Martha and Ashley are wrapping up season 4 by reflecting and celebrating big recent milestones in DNM history! We will be back with brand new stories and specialist interviews in July, but in the meantime be sure to check out our social media pages and engage with our beautiful sisterhood. If you are interested in supporting Dear NICU Mama as we continue to grow our outreach, programs,...

This week, we are wrapping up Allison and Amos' journey in part 3! We hear about the weeks and months after Amos received his life-saving liver transplant, and how both he and Allison are thriving today. We hope any transplant mamas or mamas navigating complex medical diagnosis after NICU know that you are not alone. To listen to part 1 of Allison + Amos' journey head here , and to liste...

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, an...