NICU Today: A podcast by Today is a Good Day

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a diagnosis discussed frequently for families navigating the NICU. A family’s personal journey can also cause strain on marriage and a change in family dynamics with siblings at home. We will be speaking about these important topics today with Kellie Wicklund and Jenny Limm. Kellie Wicklund is a licensed Psychotherapist with 20 years of experience, and is the Owne...

When you are navigating the NICU, many of us look to Facebook groups to connect with families who are experiencing similar journeys. I love how making a comment on a Facebook post can bring new people into your life. Our guests today are a part of a Micro-Preemie Support Network on Facebook, a group I have personally been a part of for many years. Nadine Bussie reached out to me to share her story...

The bond between parents and their NICU Nurse can create friendships for life. Nurses help parents touch and hold their baby for the first time, change their diapers, and take their temperature. They manage parents’ fear and anxiety over having a baby in the NICU and help them feel empowered to take care of their child. Experiencing the NICU can also have a profound impact on a person leading them...

The journey to starting a family is different for each of us. This episode's guest is here to share her personal journey with IVF, finally learning she was pregnant, and welcoming a premature baby with a big brother at home. Karen Beck is a former educator and has served as the Program Coordinator for Today is a Good Day. She has been a part of Today is a Good Day’s dedicated team of volunteer...

We are covering several important topics today including black maternal health, lack of access to healthcare, breastfeeding, the role of a postpartum doula, and more.  Camille Barnes is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Maternal Wellness Center. Camille is passionate about racial equity and inclusion, particularly as it relates to reproductive justice, and access for all to h...

Many hospitals have a dedicated social worker on staff to support NICU families. How do you access the social worker? What questions should you ask as a new parent in the NICU? We are speaking on today’s episode with Shannon Davis and Leah Heyel from Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. Shannon received her Bachelors in Social Work from West Chester University and Masters in Clinical So...

Every NICU experience is different even when babies are born at the same gestational age. Today we are speaking with the Goldsmith Family who welcomed their NICU Miracles at just 23 weeks and 5 days. They have a powerful story, to share with you, about navigating the ups and downs of the NICU all the way to starting Kindergarten this fall. If you have concerns about how to navigate the NICU and wh...

Before graduating from the NICU, you choose a pediatrician to care for your baby after leaving the hospital. If you are a new parent, this can be an overwhelming task making sure you are asking the right questions and finding the right fit for your family especially after a NICU stay. Today’s guest is here to talk with us about how to find a pediatrician and, most importantly, how to build a stron...

The NICU journey is a rollercoaster filled with ups and downs, twists and turns. Managing stress is a challenge and yet so important for families navigating the NICU experience. Having several stress management tools in your back pocket is helpful, not only during your time in the NICU, but for years beyond. On this episode, Teague O’Malley will walk us through several practices to help us as we n...

In this episode, we are learning about a new social venture working to improve the well-being of parents and their babies. Babyhood Lab was founded and is headed by Dr. Jessica Gaulton in collaboration with her colleagues at Newborn Special Care Associates. Dr. Gaulton is an Attending Physician in Neonatology and Director of Perinatal Innovation at Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health. Her expertise...

As we (Martha and Paul Sharkey) reflect on our family’s personal journey with our premature daughters, we wish we had known about different resources that were available to help us through the NICU experience. We hoped we were asking the right questions to the nurses and doctors. We should have reached out to the social worker at the hospital for more assistance. Ann Coyle understands what parents...

Grief can look different for everyone. If you have experienced the loss of a pregnancy, loss of a child, or have living children in addition to children who have passed away, you may experience the process of grief in different ways. You might experience grief shortly after a loss, but grief can also last for years, brought to mind by milestones that are delayed or missed, and due dates that appro...

Today is a Good Day recently started a NICU Dads Group to help dads connect with each other. The group was formed by Today is a Good Day Co-Founder, Paul Sharkey (the host of this episode), and fellow NICU Dad, Steve Gramiak. Dads have a special role to play during the NICU journey but can, often times, be overlooked. Their mental health, active role in taking care of their baby, and other aspects...

We are in for a special episode with our guest on this episode - a fellow NICU mom of triplets, keynote speaker, Amazon bestselling author, and simplicity coach. Rose Lounsbury helps overwhelmed people create open spaces in their homes, workspaces, and more importantly – their minds – by letting go of excess "stuff" that gets in the way. Rose started her own simplicity journey in 2012, aft...

Setting Visitor Guidelines after the NICU can be a difficult conversation for parents to have with grandparents, family members, and friends. Many times, others don’t fully understand the importance of keeping all babies, but especially babies who have graduated from the NICU safe from respiratory illness and germs. Dr. Stefanie Lopacinski, Perinatal Behavioral Health Consultant at Abington-Jeffer...

We frequently speak with parents about their experience of having a baby in the NICU. Today, we get the incredible opportunity to speak with a former preemie who came into the world at just 1lb. 4oz., at a time when a premature baby his size had a very small chance of survival. Khalil Munir did survive and thrive after an extended stay in the NICU. Today, Khalil Munir is a noted theater artist, ch...

Joanne Palermo, Executive Director and owner of Early Childhood Assessment Services, joined us, on this episode, to talk with us about the importance of Early Intervention, for NICU babies. During a NICU stay and even with a full-term baby, families will hear about Early Intervention, but what does that mean? You may have many questions for example: How important is it for families to set up an Ea...

The NICU is a place filled with uncertainty and (as Brenda Reynolds calls it) FOG. The NICU can blindside us and hold us back from moving forward. Brenda is a sought after organization and leadership consultant, coach, TEDx speaker, author, and NICU parent. She considers herself a change and transition expert. She joined us on this episode to share her family's personal journey, and to give yo...

Navigating the NICU journey before COVID-19 was already incredibly stressful and overwhelming. Adding the COVID-19 pandemic to the equation takes a family’s anxiety and stress to a completely new level. On this episode, we will learn how the NICU team at Abington Hospital has supported families during the pandemic using virtual practices, and what we have learned from these experiences. Dr. Katie...

After a NICU journey, considering another pregnancy can be stressful, especially if the previous experience included an extended stay in the NICU or a tragic loss. On this episode, we speak with two NICU moms who experienced a second pregnancy post-NICU. We will share the same feelings of anxiety and fear that you may experience, especially as they approached the gestational week when our guests&#...

The world of the NICU can feel overwhelming and isolating. It can be difficult to stay in the moment and be present, if your baby is born prematurely or full-term with complications. How can you embrace the NICU experience to be the best parent you can be for your baby? How do you find the strength to simply look at the “next step” rather than the next several years and all of the ‘what ifs’? On t...

On this episode, we will speak with Stephanie Cartin, fellow NICU mom, CEO of SocialFly and, Co-host of The Entreprenista Podcast. You will hear Stephanie discuss her journey, reflecting on years of struggling to conceive, learning that she and her husband were expecting twins, and how they navigated the ups and downs of loss and joy in the NICU. Stephanie will share her biggest lessons learned an...

On this episode, we discuss mental health for NICU families. This is an important topic that we should be discussing every day. Mental health is a significant issue for parents in the NICU. If you are feeling the stress of the NICU, you are not alone. If you are currently navigating your own NICU journey, listen closely to our guests today as they talk about trauma as it relates to the NICU experi...

In this episode, we are discussing love and loss in the NICU. Not every NICU journey ends with taking a baby home. There are also many times when multiples are born and not all graduate from the NICU. How do you walk the path of losing one child while trying to support the surviving child? Porsche Pinder, fellow NICU mom and host of "Sista’s on Air" on CMP Radio, shares her personal journe...

On this episode we discuss babies who are born full term, but need additional assistance with a stay in the NICU. So often we only associate premature birth with the NICU. While 1 in 10 babies are born prematurely, there is a segment of the NICU population who are born at full-term but need a stay in the NICU because of special circumstances. Our guest on this episode, Kori Robino, is a passionate...