Hand to Hold's official blog
Happy (soon-to-be) National Neonatal Nurse’s Day! Have I told you all lately how proud I am to be part of such an amazing group of talented people? Too often, my recent e-mails have been “please do this,” “please don’t forget that” and not filled with enough: thank you for choosing this amazing profession, for doing [...]
Roxy was in the NICU and Level II nurseries for 67 days. We saw several nurses during those 67 days. There were some that we loved and others that automatically made my eyes roll. Some in between were just there. There was the nurse that refused to let me hold Roxy. The other that [...]
I think I speak for a lot of parents of NICU/preemie babies when I say that the moment you are thrust into uncharted territory, it’s hard to know where to turn. While we knew that there was a possibility our son was coming early, when the time came I had no clue who to turn [...]
The NICU at Community Hospital in Missoula, Montana, was in the very beginning stages of building a new, separate NICU building. So, while we were there, there were roughly eight to 20+ babies in two very small rooms. The incubators were pushed up very tightly next to each other. There was no privacy and I had to pump, and try to breastfeed in front of other parents. It was hard to bond with my sweet girl when there was so much commotion going on. [Read more]
Alexia Pearce delivered her little boy at 23-weeks and says now, “If I’d known then what I do now, I’d have wanted him to die in my arms.” Take a moment to read her incredible story of now 3-year old Nathan and his inevitable premature death. Alexia wishes to raise awareness of the important decisions [...]
Follow the link “Little Keith” to watch a short video created by Anthem Health. Little Keith
For those of you who have discovered Preemie Babies 101 since last Christmas, I want to bring some archived posts to your attention that address concerns many preemie parents face during the holidays and the winter months. In the NICU During the Holidays Ideas for a NICU Care Basket The Battle for Synagis What is [...]
“A Pound of Hope”, by Michele Munro Kemper and Jennifer Kemper Sinconis I seriously can’t express how fabulous this book is. I was afraid that, being a parent of a preemie, it would be difficult to read because of the memories and trauma it would dig up within me. I was wrong. It was fascinating. [...]
Good NICU nurses can have a huge impact on our NICU experience. Their thoughtfulness, understanding, gentle care and support can make each day in the NICU so much more bearable. I would like to give each of you (and myself) the opportunity to pay tribute to a NICU nurse who had a positive impact on [...]
I brought my preemie to visit the NICU and her primary nurse this week. We got to see one of the OTs and another nurse I knew as well, and it was quite an experience for me. This is not the first time I’ve returned to visit the NICU. I’ve been back twice before with [...]
Hand to Hold is a nonprofit 501(c)3 parent support organization and information and resources provided here do not intend to take the place of the relationship between a patient and personal physician.