Empowering NICU Parents' Podcast

For this podcast episode, I was very honored to be joined by Ms. Mary Coughlin. Mary is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, but also a published author of several pieces of work. She is well-known in the neonatal world for her development of the core measures for developmentally supportive care, but most recently with her published work and creation of the trauma-informed professional certification pro...

For this podcast episode, we review some recent research studies that not only show the importance of frequent skin-to-skin care, but how it correlates with a more synchronous relationship between the infant and parents, promotes parental attachment, involvement, and breast milk production! You will hear many of the ways skin-to-skin care positively affects the infant and the parents. The practice...

For our 29th Podcast episode and to close out HIE Awareness month, I sat down with Brigid Janousek. She bravely shares the story of her son William's traumatic delivery and his subsequent treatment with therapeutic hypothermia due to his diagnosis of Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy or HIE.  Infants with HIE have experienced a lack of oxygen to the brain either prior to birth, during the birth proc...

If you are a NICU Parent who either currently has a baby in the NICU, or a NICU graduate, this episode is for you! I recently presented at a NICU Leadership conference and spoke on the parental stressors common to NICU Parents and the trauma and PTSD often associated with it. I decided to share some portions of my speech with you due to its’ relevance to all NICU families. I want all NICU Parents...

If your baby is currently in the NICU, and you are doubting the importance of your role as a parent, this podcast episode is for you! I hope as NICU parents you have been educated on the importance of your involvement with your baby - even while they are in the NICU! Parental engagement in the NICU has a plethora of benefits and not just for your baby, but for you as parents as well!  Although as...

Have you ever heard the term infant mental health? On this podcast episode, we discuss how you, as a parent or caregiver of an infant, can positively shape and support a baby’s early social and emotional skills so they are able to build long-lasting connections in the future! You will not want to miss this episode if you are a NICU parent or member of the NICU care team - it is one of my favorite...

Did you know that not only is it okay to read to your NICU baby, but that it is strongly recommended? In our 25th Podcast episode, I review all of the benefits of reading to your baby while they are in the NICU as well as tips for success! In the first few months of an infant’s life, their language and speech areas grow exponentially in their brain. But, for our babies in the NICU, many of them no...

If you are getting ready to bring your baby home from the NICU or you have a child who has complex medical needs, this episode is for you! Being a parent is difficult, but when you have a sick child or one that requires extensive medical care, therapies, and appointments, it can dramatically change your life and that of your family. Today we continue to spotlight some of the difficulties, stresses...

For NICU Parents, the day they are able to bring their baby home is unforgettable. Many parents have spent weeks and months traveling to the NICU to see their baby and have endured a large amount of stress, worry, and concern each day as they watched their baby fight against so many obstacles. So when parents hear that they are able to take their baby home, they are so thrilled that many underesti...

Our NICU Journal called Our NICU Roadmap has officially been published! My vision for this journal stemmed from the lack of a comprehensive NICU journal available when our son was in the NICU. I wanted to develop a journal that not only was a great resource for parents, but also served as a place for you as parents to document your baby’s progress each day while in the NICU.  As a Neonatal Nurse P...

Are you suffering from trauma after your baby or babies spent time in the NICU? Have you brushed off symptoms of trauma or PTSD? How could you suffer from PTSD when your baby only spent a few days in the NICU? Trauma is the result from an upsetting experience. That is it. It results from any experience that is disturbing and overwhelms your ability to cope. There is not a definitive scope that def...

If you are a NICU parent and in the midst of your baby’s NICU journey, you must listen to this episode. This episode features great advice, tips, suggestions, and encouragement from former NICU Moms that you must hear! Although the tips are mostly from mothers of multiples, any NICU parent will benefit from what they have to share! Whether you are a seasoned NICU parent or brand new in your journe...

What does IDM stand for? In the medical world, IDM is an acronym for Infant of Diabetic Mother. In this episode, we review the common complications associated with Infants of Diabetic Mothers. You may be surprised to hear that there are several complications beyond hypoglycemia or low blood sugars including but not limited to macrosomia, asphyxia, small for gestational age, respiratory distress, c...

Who is at risk for gestational diabetes? How is it diagnosed? If I have gestational diabetes, how will it affect my pregnancy and my baby? What is the best way to manage my blood sugars? Will my baby be more likely to have diabetes in the future? How will it affect future pregnancies moving forward?  We answer these questions plus so much more in this podcast! We start by discussing diabetes melli...

If you are a current or former NICU parent, you will want to listen to this episode. There are so many pieces of information you receive as a NICU parent while your baby is in the NICU and it continues once you bring your baby home. Tune in to hear great recommendations on how to best advocate and help your child while they are in the NICU and especially once they are home to optimize their neurod...

Our 16th podcast episode focuses on the positive neonatal neurodevelopment outcomes that occur when there is close collaboration and team work with the NICU care team and therapy services. The podcast features, Tracey Kondrasuk-Brander, a certified neonatal and early intervention occupational therapist. She explains the all-important role of the occupational therapist in the NICU and why it is so...

In our episode, we continue our discussion on kangaroo care by addressing some of the common barriers to kangaroo care and why it may not always be encouraged sooner. We review ways to minimize some of the common obstacles NICUs encounter that may prevent daily kangaroo care for parents. We discuss the assessment for readiness of the infant, parents, and unit for daily skin-to-skin care followed b...

Kangaroo care has numerous benefits for the baby and parents! Skin-to-skin care is now a modern day practice in the obstetrics and NICU world. Learn how it was first put into place out of pure necessity and why the practice is so strongly encouraged today. If you are either a NICU parent or a member of the NICU care team, you will hear the many benefits kangaroo care provides babies, especially th...

Tune in to hear a continuation of my conversation with Anese Barnett, a perinatal mental health therapist. You will benefit from listening if you are a NICU mother who has experienced or is currently experiencing the stress and associated trauma of having a baby in the NICU. Or if you are a NICU dad, grandparent, or friend to a NICU Mom and need some tangible advice to help her pause and address h...

In this podcast, we focus on identifying ways to support maternal mental health for NICU Mamas. As May is Maternal Mental Health Month, I sat down with Anese Barnett, a perinatal mental health therapist and clinical psychology doctoral student who is passionate about improving the mental health of all mothers during a high risk pregnancy and/or for those who have a baby in the NICU. We discuss NIC...

In this episode, we review non-invasive ventilation in the NICU, respiratory support without an endotracheal tube, but rather with a nasal cannula or face mask. If your baby currently has or had Respiratory Distress Syndrome, the chances are quite high that they are currently or were previously on at least one of the different modes of non-invasive ventilation, either nIMV or NIPPV, CPAP, HFNC, LF...

Do you have a baby in the NICU who is intubated and on a ventilator? Are you desperately trying to understand what the care team is talking about when they mention positive pressure with SIMV, PIP, and PEEP, or volume-targeted with tidal volume, or high frequency ventilation? In this podcast episode, we break down the different modes of invasive ventilation commonly used in the NICU.  First, we re...

To honor HIE Awareness Month this April, I sat down with the Executive Director for Hope for HIE, Betsy Pilon.  Betsy shares her personal experience after her son, Max was diagnosed with HIE or Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, a type of neonatal brain injury. Listen to hear how repetitive gaps in resources and lack of support for HIE families drove her to make a change. She now spearheads the non-...

In this episode, we take a deep dive into Respiratory Distress Syndrome or RDS in newborns. RDS is the dominant clinical problem preterm infants face. But, RDS it is not exclusive to just premature infants. Tune in to learn more about RDS, what causes it, what infants can be affected by it, the common symptoms infants present with, how it is diagnosed, as well as the common methods of prevention a...

In our continued discussion, Heidi House and I discuss her amazing work with Save the Mommies. As the Illinois Representative, she brings awareness and educates women on the common symptoms of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy and also speaks at national meetings and conferences to promote change and save lives. Heidi shares how they honor Emery each year on the twins birthday and take comfort in the litt...