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, an...

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 ho...

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 t...

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,...

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 of...

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 heali...

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 def...

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...

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...

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. Jul...

Happy New Year! While we are so grateful to have had some time to rest and recharge over the holidays, we have greatly missed connecting with you all here on the podcast! Throughout this episode, Martha and Ashley share about their holiday moments with their families and their personal hopes for the upcoming year. We are so grateful for this community and we cannot wait to share upcoming interview...

This week’s podcast episode is a replay of an episode from season 3 with Natalie Reiter with Prairieland Counseling ! With the holidays approaching and with many of us having hard conversations with loved ones about boundaries, we wanted to share this episode as an extra boost of confidence. This sisterhood believes in you, is so very proud of you, and is wishing you all a very merry holiday seaso...

On this week's episode, we have the honor of sharing part 1 of Jules' motherhood journey with her daughter Juliana. Jules and her husband tried for 10 yrs to conceive a child, and on their last fertility treatment they became pregnant! At 21 weeks we found out that we were expecting a baby girl. When Jules was 25 weeks pregnant, her and her husband were hit in a head-on collision by a dr...

On this week's episode, co-hosts Martha and Ashley share about their own personal healing journeys surrounding anniversaries, milestones, and big holidays. As we come down from a large holiday and prepare for an even larger one, we know that there can be significant emotional exhaustion. (On top of healing and processing through our children's big anniversaries and milestones!) So throug...

On this week’s episode, we have the opportunity to interview Dr. Mona Amin of the PedsDocTalk Podcast! Dr. Amin is a Board Certified General Pediatrician and NICU mama herself, as well as the founder and educator of the organization PedsDocTalk. Through her platform and private practice her goal is to provide relatable and easy-to-digest educate the modern parent regarding the health and wellness...

On this week’s episode, we have the honor of sharing part two of Taylor’s motherhood journey with her son, Milo! Milo was born full-term and had a NICU stay of 188 days that included 2 ambulatory transfers and 3 hospitals. (To listen to part one, head here !) Upon birth, Milo was diagnosed with Vacterl association after being born with a VSD, TEF, and an ectopic kidney. He underwent his first of 3...

Our November virtual event is only a week and a half away! Which is why for this week’s podcast episode, we are sharing a replay of an episode from season 3 with Parijat Deshpande! Parijat is the keynote speaker of our November event, and if you are on the fence about registering and long to learn more about Parijat and her practice, this episode is a great episode to do just that. For more inform...

On this week’s episode, join Martha and Ashley in welcoming Dr. Michelle Wyatt for a special mini-interview! Dr. Wyatt is a Maternal Fetal Medicine physician at Essentia Health, our presenting sponsor for the Dear NICU Mama Event: Be Proud of Who You’ve Become. In anticipation of this incredible event, we chat about Maternal Fetal Medicine practice, what Essentia Health is doing to support NICU fa...

On this week’s episode, we have the honor of sharing part 1 of Taylor’s motherhood journey with her son, Milo! Milo was born full-term and had a NICU stay of 188 days that included 2 ambulatory transfers and 3 hospitals. Upon birth, Milo was diagnosed with Vacterl association after being born with a VSD, TEF, and an ectopic kidney. He underwent his first of 3 TEF repairs at 3 days old, 2 of those...

This week’s episode is a mini episode all about our upcoming event on November 13th, 2021! If you’ve had any questions about our event or wondered what to expect when attending the event, we hope this episode answers some of those questions! Our “Be Proud of Who you’ve Become” event is designed specifically for current and past NICU mamas. Featuring renowned high-risk pregnancy specialist, author,...

On this week’s episode, we have the honor of sharing Jamie’s motherhood journey with her twins, Cooper and Lydia! Cooper and Lydia were born at 26 weeks, and had a NICU stay of 80 days. Not only is their story special because of their resilience, but also because today they are now thriving 19 year olds heading to college and we get to hear about the young adults they are becoming! Throughout this...

Cold and flu season, pandemic, RSV oh my! On this week’s episode, we have 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 clinic. Cold and flu season is a scary topic for any new mother, bu...

WE'RE BACK! While we are so grateful to have had some time to rest and recharge over the month of August, we have greatly missed connecting with you all here on the podcast! Throughout this episode we talk about some of the new and exciting things happening at Dear NICU Mama, how our summers have unfolded, and Martha shares about her recent hospitalization experience with her daughter. Our ho...

This week's episode is all about Walking Letter of Hope Day 2021!!! We are SO excited to celebrate our second annual Walking Letter of Hope Day with this sisterhood on August 14th, 2021. Throughout this episode we share how you can get involved and create your own fundraising team, as well as how you can partner with the growing mission and movement of Dear NICU Mama! To participate and regis...

For many NICU mothers, the decision on how and if to grow their family after NICU or birth trauma can be complex. And for some, the decision on whether or not they are able to grow their family via pregnancy was made for them due to emergency medical procedures or interventions. This decision can feel additionally complex when questions such as “When are you going to give your child a sibling?” ar...