The Real Mamas of the NICU Podcast

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The Real Mamas of the NICU Podcast Two mamas who survived the NICU on Cold Brew and White Claws share their stories and host interviews!
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I love these so much, so letโ€™s play + empower some past & present NICU MAMAS! โœจ(Didnโ€™t have a NICU babe, thatโ€™s okay - f...
01/06/2024

I love these so much, so letโ€™s play + empower some past & present NICU MAMAS! โœจ
(Didnโ€™t have a NICU babe, thatโ€™s okay - feed our brains with mamahood advice, we are here for it all!)

HAPPY FRIDAY! ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ

โ–ซ๏ธPreeclampsia is a dangerous pregnancy complication that affects 1 in 25 pregnancies in the United States. May is preec...
23/05/2024

โ–ซ๏ธPreeclampsia is a dangerous pregnancy complication that affects 1 in 25 pregnancies in the United States. May is preeclampsia month and May 22nd is World Preeclampsia Day.

โ–ซ๏ธTo help us be a little more informed on preeclampsia, Labcorp Chief Medical and Scientific Officer Dr. Brian Caveney is telling us about some of the new studies about preeclampsia.

โ–ซ๏ธHe says that one of the challenges involved with preeclampsia is that it is a very complicated disorder, and they donโ€™t know what exactly causes it. Another challenge is that we often donโ€™t notice raised blood pressure until it gets out of control.

โ–ซ๏ธDr. Caveney says that while there is no cure for preeclampsia, there is a lot of things a doctor can do to limit risk and have a healthy pregnancy.

โ–ซ๏ธDr. Caveney says that nothing is more important than regular appointments with your general physician, but for more information in between appointments you can head to www. labcorp.com.
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โš ๏ธ All pregnant momโ€™s need to be informed on the signs + symptoms of preeclampsia - regardless of their risk! โš ๏ธ

22/05/2024

Remember when we interviewed Kathi Anderson in season ONE? We clearly need to bring her back!

Take a watch and grab your tissues!

THINGS WE LEARNED FROM OUR NICU EXPERIENCE: 1. Not everyone handles stress, trauma + grief the same way. 2. Having your ...
20/05/2024

THINGS WE LEARNED FROM OUR NICU EXPERIENCE:

1. Not everyone handles stress, trauma + grief the same way.

2. Having your baby in the NICU is emotionally + physically draining - make sure to prioritize taking care of YOU, too.

3. Your significant partner will be your rock, not many others will get what you are going through.

4. There is no guidebook or rule book on how this works, trust your gut + intuition and always advocate.

5. The NICU staff will become not only your babies support, but they will more than likely be like forever family.

6. You may need therapy during and or after - and thatโ€™s OKAY.

7. Your body DID NOT fail you, I promise you!

8. You will GROW through what you GO THROUGH.

9. You were made to be this warriors mama, & donโ€™t you ever forget it!

10. You will move mountains during your journey, that will be one day others survival guide!
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You got this, NICU MAMA! ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ

There is something special about being able to relate so closely with other people's experiences, pains, and celebration...
17/05/2024

There is something special about being able to relate so closely with other people's experiences, pains, and celebrations. Some of my most treasured friendships have developed out of our NICU experience because we just "get it" and provide a safe place for each other to grieve and grow.

We still wouldn't wish the journey on anyone.

But, that forever sisterhood that is formed is something no words can ever explain.
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So thankful to of been able to give back to our NICU mamaโ€™s this Motherโ€™s Day @ University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ–ค we will definitely be back next year! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ

The 'Early Baby' Bluey episode has NICU moms tearing up everywhereWe all joke about how much time our kids spend watchin...
15/05/2024

The 'Early Baby' Bluey episode has NICU moms tearing up everywhere

We all joke about how much time our kids spend watching Bluey.

But underneath all the jokes and iconic one-liners, the show often portrays complex life issues in a sensitive way our kids will understand.

Oftentimes, these scenes will hit home for parents watching along too.

One such episode, called 'Early Baby', continues to earn praise from mums and dads online for its relatable depiction of having a premature baby.

You have to be the bravest you've ever been"
In Season 1, Episode 41, the show tackles the topic through a game that Bluey and Indy play together.

"Bluey, can we pretend that my baby is coming, but it's coming too early," Indy says during the game.

Bluey agrees and they roleplay Indy's 'baby' coming early... it was meant to come "this afternoon," she says.

Once the baby is born, Bluey tries to move the game along but Indy cuts her off saying, "No, Bluey, because Polly is an early baby she needs to stay in the hospital for a long time because she's still very small."

Bluey nods and then they transport the baby to the NICU in a clear container "that's like a fishtank with holes in it."

Bluey, who's playing the NICU nurse, then tells Indy she's not allowed to stay overnight, saying, "Sweetheart, we'll look after her."

Then Indy acts distressed and replies, "But I don't want to leave Polly!"

Bluey then offers these words of encouragement to her: "You have to be the bravest you've ever been."

Indy agrees to be the bravest she's ever been and leaves the hospital and falls asleep at home.
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anyone else love Bluey as much our house does? ๐Ÿฉต๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿฉต๐Ÿ’™

Watch Bluey full episodes!ABC Kids (Australia): https://iview.abc.net.au/show/blueyAvailable on Disney Junior and Disney+. https://ondisneyplus.disney.com/CB...

10/05/2024

Taylor and Masse have been searching for a special guest who could teach us about the new AEA Legislation in Iowa!

AVAILABLE NOW: Episode 9- AEA Explained with Representative Molly Buck

Thank you, Representative Buck, for educating on this new reform! She did an amazing job at keeping the information high-level and giving facts to allow our listeners to make their own informed decisions.

https://therealmamasofthenicupodcast.buzzsprout.com

โœจMOTHER'S DAY GIVEAWAYโœจMama's you deserve only the best of the best + why we're giving away a little basket full of some...
07/05/2024

โœจMOTHER'S DAY GIVEAWAYโœจ

Mama's you deserve only the best of the best + why we're giving away a little basket full of some of our favorite essentials as a thank you for helping us grow our page + community! ๐Ÿ’œ

To Enter:

1. Make sure you're following us on Facebook + Instagram!

2.Tag a friend you think deserves to win this giveaway with you! (more tags = more entries) *one tag per comment*

โœจEXTRA ENTRY - share this post to your stories + tag us!โœจ

We will announce the winner on our stories and this post on Saturday, May 11th!! Good luck!

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™ŒI'll be hosting a Mother's Day Event at University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital fo...
04/05/2024

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿ™Œ

I'll be hosting a Mother's Day Event at University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital for all current NICU MAMAS! I have had so so so so many gracious people, small business, family, ex NICU mom's, strangers + ETC reach out and offer to donate some sort of monetary or pamper related service or basket for these mamas to be given the day of to brighten their day.

If you want to check out the list or send something my way in your honor to gift these amazing mama's here is the amazon wish-list! https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/N85VSYK1S5IM?ref_=wl_share

here is the way the event is going to look:
the current NICU mom's will come and hang with me + some other ex NICU mama's, we will have separate stations of fun crafty activities they can do if they would like, a little pamper station to do some self-care + have tea bombs, coffee + snacks all spread out!

here's where the amazing things gifted + donated to me for these mom's will take place: throughout the event, I will have the moms in attendance fill out a raffle ticket and throw it in a container - we will just draw throughout the event and they can go up to the table where all the items will be distributed and they can pick one to take as a gift from YOU AMAZING HUMANS! ๐Ÿ’™

I can't even begin to thank you guys enough - I am so excited to spread some love + joy to these VERY deserving mama's on Mother's Day! I LOVE YOU ALL!

-Taylor

finish this sentence.... "we're NICU moms, of course we..." ๐Ÿ™ƒ๐Ÿ™ƒ๐Ÿ™ƒ๐Ÿ™ƒ๐Ÿ™ƒ
03/05/2024

finish this sentence....

"we're NICU moms, of course we..." ๐Ÿ™ƒ๐Ÿ™ƒ๐Ÿ™ƒ๐Ÿ™ƒ๐Ÿ™ƒ

๐™ฌ๐™š ๐™Ÿ๐™ช๐™จ๐™ฉ ๐™œ๐™ค๐™ฉ ๐™˜๐™–๐™ก๐™ก๐™š๐™™ "๐™๐™ค๐™ฉ." actually, the full statement was: "you're one big hot mess." but, we're only focusing on the p...
26/04/2024

๐™ฌ๐™š ๐™Ÿ๐™ช๐™จ๐™ฉ ๐™œ๐™ค๐™ฉ ๐™˜๐™–๐™ก๐™ก๐™š๐™™ "๐™๐™ค๐™ฉ."
actually, the full statement was: "you're one big hot mess." but, we're only focusing on the positives today! ๐™ƒ๐˜ผ๐™‹๐™‹๐™” ๐™๐™๐™„๐˜ฟ๐˜ผ๐™”! ๐Ÿงก๐Ÿงก

Hereโ€™s your reminder โ€” you are NOT responsible for how people respond to setting boundaries for your child. YOU GO, MAMA...
18/04/2024

Hereโ€™s your reminder โ€” you are NOT responsible for how people respond to setting boundaries for your child. YOU GO, MAMA! ๐Ÿ‘Š ๐Ÿค
What are some boundaries you are proud of setting lately for your baby? โœจ

๐™›๐™ค๐™ง ๐™ฉ๐™๐™ค๐™จ๐™š ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™ก๐™ค๐™ค๐™ ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™›๐™ค๐™ง ๐™จ๐™ค๐™ข๐™š ๐™›๐™ช๐™ฃ ๐™ข๐™š๐™™๐™ž๐™–๐™ก ๐™ข๐™–๐™ข๐™– / ๐™‰๐™„๐˜พ๐™ ๐™ข๐™–๐™ข๐™– ๐™ข๐™š๐™ง๐™˜๐™ ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™ง๐™ค๐™˜๐™  + ๐™จ๐™ค๐™ข๐™š "๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™ง๐™š๐™–๐™ก ๐™ข๐™–๐™ข๐™–๐™จ ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™ฃ๐™ž๐™˜๐™ช" ๐™ข๐™–๐™ง๐™˜๐™, ๐™˜...
12/04/2024

๐™›๐™ค๐™ง ๐™ฉ๐™๐™ค๐™จ๐™š ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™ก๐™ค๐™ค๐™ ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™›๐™ค๐™ง ๐™จ๐™ค๐™ข๐™š ๐™›๐™ช๐™ฃ ๐™ข๐™š๐™™๐™ž๐™–๐™ก ๐™ข๐™–๐™ข๐™– / ๐™‰๐™„๐˜พ๐™ ๐™ข๐™–๐™ข๐™– ๐™ข๐™š๐™ง๐™˜๐™ ๐™ฉ๐™ค ๐™ง๐™ค๐™˜๐™  + ๐™จ๐™ค๐™ข๐™š "๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™ง๐™š๐™–๐™ก ๐™ข๐™–๐™ข๐™–๐™จ ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™ฃ๐™ž๐™˜๐™ช" ๐™ข๐™–๐™ง๐™˜๐™, ๐™˜๐™๐™š๐™˜๐™  ๐™ž๐™ฉ ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ฉ ๐™๐™š๐™ง๐™š! https://www.etsy.com/shop/HotMessMedicalMama?ref=profile_header
let us know if you snag any + make sure to tag us in your swag! ๐Ÿ–ค๐Ÿ–ค๐Ÿ–ค

12/04/2024

ITโ€™S LONG OVER-DUE! ๐Ÿป
For those of you that donโ€™t know, Masse Poetting + Taylor Mattson become NICU besties for the resties during our preemieโ€™s journey.
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We still arenโ€™t sure how we actually โ€œmetโ€ but we do know once we did we were inseparable, each others back-bone + support & biggest cheerleaders!
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Our kiddos both had such different stories during their stay - but, we were the only ones for each other who truly understood how the other one was feeling during such an isolating + lonely time.
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We started by our daily coffee outings in our hospital to force one another to get out of living in our childโ€™s room 24/7 - then decided it was time to actually get out of the hospital together (from the firm recommendation from one of our favorite nurses - Emily Feltes shoutout to you) so we got our nails done ๐Ÿ’…
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Well, the rest is historyโ€ฆ.
From our total combined stay of 200+ days with our babes, we began making Thursdays nights out โ€œdate nightโ€ where we would take our husbands 99.9% of the time + we would do some sort of fun activity. We would bowl, golf, dartsโ€ฆ we even threw axes ๐Ÿช“ ๐Ÿ˜ฑโ€ฆ. The rule was we always had to have an adult beverage (or a few) + just unwind focusing on the fun going on instead of being so wrapped up in hospital & NICU world.
So many memories made, my forever friend who is like family + so many great stories together!
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If you can, find a support squad like this during your NICU stay - I totally believe it made a world of a difference going through it together + leaning on one another, even 3 years laterโ€ฆ

Donโ€™t be afraid to reach out to staff at your hospital about connecting you with other moms, or saying hi and starting conversations in the hallway, or just be the weirdo like me + walk up to them and give them no choice to be your friend, right Masse? ๐Ÿ˜œ
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Last night was long overdue getting to re-live a Thursday night date night, outside of NICU life! ๐Ÿ’œ

๐™ƒ๐˜ผ๐™‹๐™‹๐™” ๐˜ผ๐™๐™๐™„๐™Ž๐™ˆ ๐˜ผ๐™’๐˜ผ๐™๐™€๐™‰๐™€๐™Ž๐™Ž ๐˜ฟ๐˜ผ๐™”! It's been a second, friends! but, we're BACK +  are thrilled to dive deep into conversation ...
02/04/2024

๐™ƒ๐˜ผ๐™‹๐™‹๐™” ๐˜ผ๐™๐™๐™„๐™Ž๐™ˆ ๐˜ผ๐™’๐˜ผ๐™๐™€๐™‰๐™€๐™Ž๐™Ž ๐˜ฟ๐˜ผ๐™”!
It's been a second, friends! but, we're BACK + are thrilled to dive deep into conversation with founder of Keeley & Kambry's Tribe our guest Jade Ewoldt, a former NICU mom to two beautiful twin girls, who share such a incredible story from the day they were born. In this episode, we will celebrate ๐™’๐™ค๐™ง๐™ก๐™™ ๐˜ผ๐™ช๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™จ๐™ข ๐˜ผ๐™ฌ๐™–๐™ง๐™š๐™ฃ๐™š๐™จ๐™จ ๐˜ฟ๐™–๐™ฎ + chat about what life has been like for this family since the diagnosis of Autism & how Jade is a super-mama when it comes to advocating, supporting + creating awareness for Autism, not only today - but every day! ๐Ÿ’œ๐ŸŽ™๐ŸŽง

It's been a second, friends! but, we're BACK +ย  are thrilled to dive deep into conversation with our guest Jade Ewoldt, a former NICU mom to twin girls, who share such a incredible story from the day they were born. In this episode, we will c...

๐š’๐š'๐šœ ๐š‹๐šŽ๐šŽ๐š— ๐šŠ ๐š–๐š’๐š—๐šž๐š๐šŽ ๐šœ๐š’๐š—๐šŒ๐šŽ ๐š ๐šŽ'๐šŸ๐šŽ ๐š๐š›๐š˜๐š™๐š™๐šŽ๐š ๐šŠ๐š— ๐šŽ๐š™๐š’๐šœ๐š˜๐š๐šŽ...COMING SOON, TODAY! our interview with Jade Ewoldt + her twins story...
02/04/2024

๐š’๐š'๐šœ ๐š‹๐šŽ๐šŽ๐š— ๐šŠ ๐š–๐š’๐š—๐šž๐š๐šŽ ๐šœ๐š’๐š—๐šŒ๐šŽ ๐š ๐šŽ'๐šŸ๐šŽ ๐š๐š›๐š˜๐š™๐š™๐šŽ๐š ๐šŠ๐š— ๐šŽ๐š™๐š’๐šœ๐š˜๐š๐šŽ...

COMING SOON, TODAY! our interview with Jade Ewoldt + her twins story. Where we celebrate World Autism Awareness Day + dive into her daughter's Autism diagnosis, her twins relationship, how she advocates as her mama + so much more - make sure to give us a follow so you don't miss this episode!

๐š‚๐š™๐š˜๐š๐š’๐š๐šข: https://open.spotify.com/show/574Sc5JenKk8Hy03dybzuQ?si=Hxhp_XvYSDeprWh3VOKGyQ

๐™ฐ๐š™๐š™๐š•๐šŽ ๐™ผ๐šž๐šœ๐š’๐šŒ: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-real-mamas-of-the-nicu-podcast/id1636134849?i=1000617047804

World Autism Awareness Day is tomorrow ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™Set your reminder for tonight or tomorrow morning to wear your blue to show sup...
01/04/2024

World Autism Awareness Day is tomorrow ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™

Set your reminder for tonight or tomorrow morning to wear your blue to show support, but also TUNE IN to our episode where we get the honor to hear from super mama herself Jade Ewoldt on her story with her daughter's diagnosis + why this day means so much to her & her tribe: Keeley & Kambry's Tribe!

This special day aims to spread awareness about autism as a disorder and to support those who are suffering from it. It is a global healthcare event that focuses on acceptance, support, and inclusion of autistic people and advocacy of their rights.

We would love to see you show us your blue tomorrow in raising awareness + showing support to our friends celebrating this day, like our girl, Kambry!

Thank you for spreading the message about Autism tomorrow ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™

Happy Easter, mamas! ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿซถ๐ŸปHereโ€™s your reminder today that whatever is dead in your life, God is capable to breathe a ne...
31/03/2024

Happy Easter, mamas! ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป

Hereโ€™s your reminder today that whatever is dead in your life, God is capable to breathe a new spirit in it. ๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ Our God has risen! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป

๐™’๐™€ ๐™’๐˜ผ๐™‰๐™ ๐™๐™Š ๐™ƒ๐™€๐˜ผ๐™ ๐™๐™๐™Š๐™ˆ ๐™”๐™Š๐™, ๐™ˆ๐˜ผ๐™ˆ๐˜ผ๐™Ž! ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’›-inspiring stories of you + your preemie -trials + tribulations throughout your expe...
27/03/2024

๐™’๐™€ ๐™’๐˜ผ๐™‰๐™ ๐™๐™Š ๐™ƒ๐™€๐˜ผ๐™ ๐™๐™๐™Š๐™ˆ ๐™”๐™Š๐™, ๐™ˆ๐˜ผ๐™ˆ๐˜ผ๐™Ž! ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’›
-inspiring stories of you + your preemie
-trials + tribulations throughout your experience
-dealing with medical diagnosis's
-relationships after the NICU
-advocating like a mother....
๐™‹๐™‡๐™๐™Ž ๐™Ž๐™Š ๐™ˆ๐™๐˜พ๐™ƒ ๐™ˆ๐™Š๐™๐™€! ๐Ÿคฉ
looking for stories to be shared + NICU topics to be discussed with some amazing, strong + inspiring NICU mamas on our podcast: ๐™๐™๐™š ๐™๐™š๐™–๐™ก ๐™ˆ๐™–๐™ข๐™–๐™จ ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™‰๐™„๐˜พ๐™ -- if this could be you or someone you know, let us know in the comments below!
๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ฑ ๐˜ถ๐˜ด ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜บ + ๐˜ฃ๐˜ถ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฎ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜บ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜™๐˜Œ๐˜ˆ๐˜“ ๐˜”๐˜ˆ๐˜”๐˜ˆ๐˜š ๐˜–๐˜ ๐˜›๐˜๐˜Œ ๐˜•๐˜๐˜Š๐˜œ! ๐Ÿ™Œ

I think ๐’ž๐’ฝ๐‘’๐’ป ๐ต๐‘œ๐“Ž๐’ถ๐“‡๐’น๐‘’๐‘’ or ๐‘€๐’ธ๐’Ÿ๐‘œ๐“Š๐’ท๐“๐‘’ has a great ring to it ๐Ÿ˜œ๐Ÿ™ƒแดกสœแด€แด› แดกแดแดœสŸแด… สแดแดœส€ แด‹ษชแด…แด…แดs ษดแด€แดแด‡(s) ส™แด‡?
26/03/2024

I think ๐’ž๐’ฝ๐‘’๐’ป ๐ต๐‘œ๐“Ž๐’ถ๐“‡๐’น๐‘’๐‘’ or ๐‘€๐’ธ๐’Ÿ๐‘œ๐“Š๐’ท๐“๐‘’ has a great ring to it ๐Ÿ˜œ๐Ÿ™ƒ
แดกสœแด€แด› แดกแดแดœสŸแด… สแดแดœส€ แด‹ษชแด…แด…แดs ษดแด€แดแด‡(s) ส™แด‡?

the best mama is a well taken care mama...now, read that on repeat ๐Ÿ–ค๐™ฌ๐™๐™–๐™ฉ'๐™จ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™ข๐™–๐™ž๐™ฃ ๐™จ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง๐™˜๐™š ๐™ค๐™› ๐™จ๐™š๐™ก๐™› ๐™˜๐™–๐™ง๐™š ๐™ง๐™ž๐™œ๐™๐™ฉ ๐™ฃ๐™ค๐™ฌ?
25/03/2024

the best mama is a well taken care mama...

now, read that on repeat ๐Ÿ–ค
๐™ฌ๐™๐™–๐™ฉ'๐™จ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™ข๐™–๐™ž๐™ฃ ๐™จ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง๐™˜๐™š ๐™ค๐™› ๐™จ๐™š๐™ก๐™› ๐™˜๐™–๐™ง๐™š ๐™ง๐™ž๐™œ๐™๐™ฉ ๐™ฃ๐™ค๐™ฌ?

ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS A NEW MOM CAN GO THROUGH IS HER BABY BEING IN THE NICU... we often have others reach ou...
22/03/2024

ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS A NEW MOM CAN GO THROUGH IS HER BABY BEING IN THE NICU... we often have others reach out and ask us how they can support a loved one who is experiencing the NICU.

so, we've decided to come up with our top picks of things to help a loved one during their NICU journey:

1. Journal + Milestone Book - this was essential part of our daily routine while our stay, writing down daily rounds, prayers, or just journaling what we were experiencing, plus it's really meaningful to look back on now.

2. Milestone Cards!!!! This is probably a top favorite, the NICU you celebrate all sorts of milestones, big or small - but these we're super fun to capture the moments in pictures with NICU related milestone cards!

3. C O M F Y stuff - think slippers, oversized sweaters, loungewear, fuzzy socks... you name it, we spend so much time there. Comfort = KEY

4. Electronic Essentials: one thing I didn't realize I would use as much as I did was chargers, whether that was working on my laptop or watching shows, scrolling + etc on my phone - you have a lot of down time there, so it's always great to be prepared

5. PAMPER YOURSELF: literally, even the smallest things can just make your day brighter in the NICU, whether thats a nice face mask, heated blanket, electric blanket, it just makes you feel so much better, always!

6. This one is a little splurge worthy, but was such a key component to being able to pump as long as I did - CORDLESS PUMPS - they were game changers, I didn't feel tied down to the pump 300 times a day, and I could still leave and take breaks from the room, while pumping!

7. THE OUTFITS! Now, keep in mind not all babies get to wear the cute little onesies and etc right away - we waited a looooooong time until he was stable enough to be able too, so having some fun swaddles, pj's, hats, binkys - you name it, it truly just makes you so excited capturing those moments!

8. WATER BOTTLE - as simple as it sounds, who doesn't love a cute water bottle... and we gotta stay hydrated up in there, especially since we are spending such long days there, it's a must have!

9. BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS! I love to read personally, but I was really into reading to my little one, especially when I felt like I couldn't do the traditional parenting things, or sometimes, even hold them - we loved bonding this way!

10. SNACKSSSSS!!!!!! don't snacks make everyone happier? ;)

Here is where you can shop these things listed + so much more, build the NICU CARE PACKAGE of your dreams for yourself of a deserving mama!

You may think us โ€œspecial momsโ€ have it pretty rough. We have no choice but to we just manage life when it gets really t...
20/03/2024

You may think us โ€œspecial momsโ€ have it pretty rough.

We have no choice but to we just manage life when it gets really tough.
Weโ€™ve made it through the days we thought weโ€™d never make it through.
Weโ€™ve even impressed our own selves with all that we actually can do.

Weโ€™ve gained patience beyond measure, love we never dreamed of giving.
We worry about the future but know this โ€œspecialโ€ lifeโ€™s worth nothing but living.
We have had bad days and hurt sometimes, but we continue to always hold our heads up high.
We feel joy and pride and thankfulness more often than we cry.

For our kids, we arenโ€™t just super moms.
No, we do much more.
We are cheerleaders, nurses, therapists, advocates who donโ€™t ever walk out that door.
We handle rude remarks, unsolicited advice & stares with dignity + grace.
weโ€™ve learned our childโ€™s milestones arenโ€™t always a race.

Therapies, appointments & medication lists are sometimes a lot for us to digest.
We donโ€™t always know what the future holds but will always give our kids nothing but the best.
None of us can be replaced, so we donโ€™t always get much needed breaks.
It wears us out to our core, but to help our kids, weโ€™ll always do whatever it takes.

We are selfless, not by choice, you see.
Our kids just have a little more wants + needs.
Weโ€™re not out to change the world, but iโ€™m just here to raise awareness + plant some seeds.
We want our kids accepted, thatโ€™s really our aim.
When we look at them we just see amazing kidsโ€ฆ and hope youโ€™ll do just the same ๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป

Being a first time mom in the NICU is scary AF. Itโ€™s not how I imagined my entrance into motherhood going, as Iโ€™m sure n...
19/03/2024

Being a first time mom in the NICU is scary AF. Itโ€™s not how I imagined my entrance into motherhood going, as Iโ€™m sure no one who finds themselves in that situation does. It is, quite frankly, permanently life changing, traumatic andโ€ฆ just DIFFICULT.

Amongst the chaos of entering a journey you know absolutely nothing about, hereโ€™s what I learnedโ€ฆ

I learned how to love on my baby when holding them wasnโ€™t an option.

I learned what all the number meant on the ventilator screen meant.

I learned what sizes ET tubes come in.

I learned what words like desaturated, Brady, tachy, TFI, TPN, PICC, echo, ad lib, NPO and many more meant.

I learned how to forget all the beeps and wires and try to just focus on the moment and my baby.

I learned which diagnosis were worth losing sleep over and which ones werenโ€™t.

I learned about other babies who had been through similar journeys and who had gone home already.

I had learned about babies who never made it home from the NICU.

I learned about love + faith. (Not necessarily the religious kind, either.)

I learned about patience.

But, most of all I learned about H O P Eโ€ฆ.

Our nurses always kept us hopeful as much as they possibly could. They saw me when they knew I needed a break, they were the first to know the days we got the worst news + took action on comforting us.

They always found ways to work positivity into our bad days + celebrate even bigger on the good ones. They become such an important system to our partners and us on our worst days. And, even better - on good they amplified our happiness.

THANK YOU NICU NURSES,
for always making our room feel like home,
for your incredible intelligence + knowledge you helped us navigate this journey.
thank you beyond words for helping me gain confidence in being a NICU mom and learning to use my voice.
Thank you for always reminding me to take time to reset + rest, most importantly give myself grace when I did indeed that much needed break - reminding me that a well taken care mom is the best mom!

THANK YOU FOR LOVING US + you are more than just a NICU nurse, you are one of the biggest reasons we survived this crazy NICU journey, YOU ARE SO LOVED! ๐Ÿ’•

HEREโ€™S YOUR MONDAY REMINDERโ€ฆ๐Ÿ’•& if no oneโ€™s told you yet todayโ€ฆ. Youโ€™re amazing + weโ€™re so proud of you! ๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป
18/03/2024

HEREโ€™S YOUR MONDAY REMINDERโ€ฆ๐Ÿ’•
& if no oneโ€™s told you yet todayโ€ฆ. Youโ€™re amazing + weโ€™re so proud of you! ๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿป

We have seen a MILLION posts about what pictures you should take right after your baby is born, in the crib, snuggled up...
13/03/2024

We have seen a MILLION posts about what pictures you should take right after your baby is born, in the crib, snuggled up with you, the cute toes and fingers and then swaddled like a cute burrito! I love these all so much and especially when they capture your story but, sometimes moms donโ€™t quite get that birth they've always dreamt of. Sometimes our precious little ones end up in the NICU.

So, as past NICU moms - reflecting on our journey, we want the current NICU mamas to know, don't be afraid to still capture those very special moments, that you will forever cherish looking back on you + your warrior's journey.

Here are 10 pictures you SHOULD take if you're child ends up in the NICU:

1. The entrance to your NICU - I know this sounds silly, but it will become your home away from home & such a routine to your visits + you will walk through that entrance about 8 times a day if you're anything like us. ๐Ÿ™ƒ

2. Your little one, of course take pictures of them throughout the journey (if you're anything like us, you may have to upgrade your storage a time or two) but, you can never have enough pictures!

3. Because they are so small take photos to show how tiny they were compared to your size. I love those tiny toes + hands. Especially first moments of being born. I wish I would've gotten more pictures of that to look back on.

4. Capture those moments when you are making progress! Moments I will always look back and cherish are all the NICU milestones! Even if you think it's something not huge, take the picture anyway! I promise you'll thank me later!

5. Take a picture of your view from your wonderful chair. I know this one sounds silly, but will spend so much of your time there, it's one you want to capture.

6. Capture your surroundings! Wires, IV's, monitors, you name it - capture it!

7. Get all those special times when your baby does something new or when they are just adorable!

8. Their care team - take pictures of the ones who took part in your little ones life, especially the ones you got close to on your NICU journey, it's my favorite thing to look back on as we continue to have relationships with some of these amazing staff members.

9. First meetings, if or when you are ready to invite family or close friends to come visit and meet your little one, capture those first initial meeting moment, they are so special.

10. Lastly, make sure to capture some pictures of what you do when you aren't there at the NICU (even if you spend every waking moment there) make sure to take some time for YOU and whatever that may look like. A nurse once told me, "the best moms are the ones who can be the BEST mom." to make sure I was taking care of myself + giving myself breaks from the NICU, which I'm so glad I finallllllly listened and did, because if I wouldn't of - I wouldn't of met my amazing co-host here (our first pedicure together) + become forever friends, enjoyed everlasting memories with other NICU families + also been the best version of a spouse/mom I could of been given the circumstances! Best part, I have SO many pictures and videos to look back on from it! .......
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PICTURES FROM YOUR NICU JOURNEY? ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ’œ

Weโ€™re NICU MOMS! Of course weโ€ฆโคAdvocate Like A Motherโคblue raspberry flavors with pomegranate, strawberry + watermelon๐Ÿซ๐Ÿ‰...
11/03/2024

Weโ€™re NICU MOMS! Of course weโ€ฆ

โคAdvocate Like A Motherโค
blue raspberry flavors with pomegranate, strawberry + watermelon๐Ÿซ๐Ÿ‰๐Ÿ“

๐Ÿ’œPREMIE P O W E R๐Ÿ’œ
grape filled flavors with raspberry๐Ÿ‡๐Ÿ‡๐Ÿ‡

๐ŸนTrauma Mama Margarita๐Ÿน
let's be honest, we all could use this being NICU moms - flavors of margarita, lime + pineapple concoct this caffeinated drink! ๐Ÿน๐Ÿ‹๐Ÿ

๐ŸฅฐGRATEFUL GUMMY BEAR๐Ÿฅฐ
berry flavors of strawberry, pomegranate + cherry๐Ÿ‰๐Ÿ“๐Ÿ’

This months tea bomb kit is our nod to a current Tik Tok Trend, with our own wit sprinkled on top. Donโ€™t worry, you don't have to just be a NICU mom to enjoy these caffeinated concoctions! TRUST ME! ..
**these drinks are 10-20 calories, sugar-free/stevia based + boosts metabolism & burns fat and have 120-150 mg's of caffeine in them!**

ORDER HERE: โ†ช๏ธ https://forms.gle/Ha46F1oeUwT9VQnx5

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