With You in the NICU

Welcome to the CPBF podcast series, with a timely focus on RSV. RSV is the most common reason for hospital admission in infants and young children. CPBF is committed to providing education and resources to help protect all infants from RSV. Please join host Jenna Morton as she talks to the experts about all things RSV. Click on the episode to listen! Retired NICU nurse Marianne Bracht has spent de...

Welcome to the CPBF podcast series, with a timely focus on RSV. RSV is the most common reason for hospital admission in infants and young children. CPBF is committed to providing education and resources to help protect all infants from RSV. Please join host Jenna Morton as she talks to the experts about all things RSV. Click on the episode to listen! Parents carry a burden of worry when it comes t...

Welcome to the CPBF podcast series, with a timely focus on RSV. RSV is the most common reason for hospital admission in infants and young children. CPBF is committed to providing education and resources to help protect all infants from RSV. Please join host Jenna Morton as she talks to the experts about all things RSV. Click on the episode to listen! Pediatric infectious disease researcher Dr. Jes...

Welcome to the CPBF podcast series, with a timely focus on RSV. RSV is the most common reason for hospital admission in infants and young children. CPBF is committed to providing education and resources to help protect all infants from RSV. Please join host Jenna Morton as she talks to the experts about all things RSV. Click on the episode to listen! Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a leading...

One of the greatest struggles in being the parent of a preterm baby is the worry. Anxiety and overwhelm are common companions of a NICU journey. Practicing mindfulness and meditation can help parents process these feelings, but learning how to bring this techniques into a hospital setting can be tricky. In this episode of With You in the NICU, social worker and founder of Postpartum Support Toront...

During a premature birth and NICU stay, parents are often operating on auto-pilot, just trying to survive each day. It’s hard to make space to fully grasp the emotions and reactions we are experiencing. In this episode, counsellor Mary Bell offers some insight and advice. She is an author, a proponent of acceptance and commitment therapy, and is part of the mindfulness team in adolescent medicine...

Sometimes, a parent’s journey through premature birth leads to unexpected places. This has been the case for Kate Robson , mother of two preemie daughters. As her children grew older, Kate took on roles with the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, as a family support specialist for other NICU parents, and is now pursuing a career in psychotherapy. Her combination of educational training, work in...

Welcoming a child into your family is an experience filled with unpredictable twists and turns. Parents who are faced with premature birth and NICU stays know this all too well. Finding a path through the emotional turmoil can be tricky, but it can be done. Dr. Mara Tesler Stein is a clinical psychologist and author who specialises in perinatal trauma and mental health, and the guest expert for th...

Technology is playing an ever-increasing role in our daily lives, including the lives of infant patients in neonatal intensive care units and their parents. Units around the world are introducing webcam technology - NICView cameras - that allows parents to see their children at any time. One such unit is the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, where Dr. Jennifer Toye works. Dr. Toye...

Navigating the world of health care often feels overwhelming, especially when you feel that the staff don’t understand your concerns and worries. Sue Robins is trying to change that by reminding us all about the power in sharing our own stories. She is the author of Bird’s Eye View: Stories of a life lived in health care. She is also a mother who has spent many, many hours interacting with the hea...

There is a growing focus on mental health and well-being, both among healthcare officials and society in general, but we sometimes skip over the simple discussions that help us understand just what terms like anxiety and post-partum depression actually mean and how they might show up in ourselves and our loved ones. Kasia Pytlik is a social worker who helps parents with children in the neonatal in...

While it's true that children don't really come with a manual, two Canadian nurses have made sure that preemie parents have a book to guide them along the beginning of their journey. Karen Lasby and Tammy Sherrow published Preemie Care: A Guide to Navigating the First Year with Your Premature Baby in early 2019. The book is a mix of first-person stories and facts to help families navigate the firs...

  The importance of breastmilk is not difficult to understand – but finding the determination to work through the challenges of producing it can be a heavy burden for many mothers. Preemie moms often face additional hurdles, waiting for baby to be able to latch or even consume much milk. Doris Sawatzky-Dickson spent more than 30 years as a clinical nurse specialist, NICU educator, and lactation co...

Making space for yourself might be the biggest parenting challenge of all – but the benefits are worth the investment. NICU parents in particular can struggle with guilty feelings associated with taking time for themselves, but mother and writer Jennifer Robson makes a compelling argument as to why it’s critically important to tap into your own creativity and interests during stressful times.   Wi...

  Sleep can be a triggering word for parents. From the often-suggested ‘nap when the baby naps’ to bedtime battles with toddlers, sleep can often seem anything but restful. But its importance should not be marginalized, for both parents and children. Doctor Robyn Stremler is a Toronto-based professor and researcher who specializes in improving sleep and health outcomes for infants, children, and p...

  For years, parents of premature babies felt excluded from their infant’s care – in large part because they were. Recently, things have changed in many NICUs, thanks to an approach called Family Integrated Care. Jack Hourigan and her husband, Andy Fenton, were the first parents to take part in the program in Canada. Their daughter, Tess, arrived three months early. Today, Jack and Tess both work...

There is so much information front and centre when it comes to pregnancy and infants, it’s easy to miss what you need to know to take care of yourself, Mama. This podcast episode focuses on your physical health, particularly in relation to post-delivery concerns you should be keeping in mind as you heal. Our guide to this topic is Katie Kelly , a certified pelvic floor physiotherapist, instructor,...

  When you’re looking at your premature infant, it can be hard to visualize them in the future, grown and out in the world. Knowing the stories of other preemies can help. Kimberley McRae is a university student, a member of Canada's national luge team, a two-time Olympian, and a NICU graduate. She joins host Jenna Morton to talk about her accomplishments and how her early days shape who she is to...

Marianne Bracht spent more than four decades as a neonatal nurse, supporting families and other medical professionals at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Today, she’s a key volunteer with the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, helping with the Family Ambassador program that aims to support NICU families. She joins the podcast to talk about the risks and realities of dealing with germs and illne...

  The transition from NICU to home is a tricky one; a day filled with both hope and anxiety for many parents, heading into an unknown world after so much time spent surrounded by specialists. On this episode of With You in the NICU, neonatologist and developmental pediatrician Dr. Paige Church discusses some of the common concerns parents share and how they might prepare for the transition to home...

One of the hardest parts of being a NICU parent is wondering how much pain your child is enduring through IVs, vaccinations, blood tests, and more. To learn more about pain management for children, With You in the NICU host Jenna Morton is joined by Dr. Christine Chambers . Dr. Chamber holds the Canada Research Chair in Children’s Pain, teaches in the departments of pediatrics, psychology, and neu...

Learning to advocate for yourself and your child is a skill that will serve you well, both inside and outside of the NICU. So is learning to care for yourself, alongside your child. Ann Douglas helps parents learn these skills and more through her parenting books, and shares some of her wisdom with With You in the NICU host, Jenna Morton. Ann Douglas is a Canadian author known for her best-selling...

For many parents, the arrival of baby comes with certain expectations and plans as to how labour and birth will take place. Unfortunately, the reality for many parents is far from their expectation – particularly so when your infant becomes a NICU patient. On this episode of With You in the NICU, host and preemie mom, Jenna Morton, talks about dealing with the unexpected challenges of birth with D...

Mamas who spend time in the NICU know there is an intense focus on collecting and providing breastmilk for infant patients. On this episode of With You in the NICU, host (and former pumper) Jenna Morton talks with Dr. Rebecca Hoban about why human milk is so important for preemies and other NICU patients, as well as tackling some of the challenges moms face in producing and pumping. Dr. Rebecca Ho...