In this podcast episode, Mary interviews Andrea Hickson, founder of NICU Alumni. Andrea shares her deeply personal story of giving birth to her two daughters, both of whom required NICU stays due to extreme prematurity. Her experiences and the challenges she faced during and after their NICU stays inspired her to create NICU Alumni, an organization designed to support families navigating the post-NICU journey. Andrea discusses the importance of hands-on involvement for parents in the NICU, the practical and strategic resources NICU Alumni offers, and the necessity of addressing trauma and mental health in post-NICU care. She also reflects on the overwhelming challenges and emotional struggles faced by NICU parents and offers insights into providing support and empowerment to these families.
00:00 Introduction to Today's Guest: Andrea Hickson
00:38 Andrea's Journey to Founding NICU Alumni
01:35 Navigating Early Intervention and Support
03:05 The Birth of Andrea's Second Daughter
03:46 Relocating During the Pandemic
05:38 Launching NICU Alumni
06:45 The Importance of Post-NICU Support
15:01 Practical Tools for NICU Families
18:09 Advice for NICU Clinicians
20:32 Empowering Parents in the NICU
27:34 Caring Out Loud: Andrea's Perspective
29:12 Final Thoughts and Wisdom
Here are some links as well:
https://www.nicualumni.org/
https://www.nicualumni.org/podcast
IG: https://www.instagram.com/nicu_alumni/
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