Dear NICU Mama

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...

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...