Saving Babies: Putting Hope in Place; NICU Family Support

Learn more about the March of Dimes NICU Family Support Program:

http://www.marchofdimes.com/Baby/inthenicu_program.html

In June 2001, the March of Dimes launched the NICU Family Support Program, designed to help families cope with the daily struggles in the NICU.
The Knox Family, recent graduates of March of Dimes NICU Family Support, share a story of life in the NICU, and how the Support Specialists help families cope with life in the NICU. In the six years since its inception, March of Dimes NICU Family Support has touched nearly 100,000 families, and is now in place in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Saving
• Babies
• March
• of
• Dimes
• NICU
• Family
• Support
• Putting
• Hope
• Place
• baby
• pregnancy
• pregnant
• mom
• mother
• mothers
• health

[lady11love]

@bebetigre12 Are yo u serious? So are you saying that I am some sort of an offender? My daughter was in for a week, and it was totally unexpected. She had severe jaundice, and was 1 month early. What makes you think that we're rude and nasty? Oh, and all babies that are in the NICU are having a real crisis... if they weren't then they wouldn't be there. I am very emotionally scarred from my experience, and can't believe you would say such a thing. You must not have had a LO in the NICU!!!

[Manna80]

This is such an important program and important need. Thank you, March of Dimes, for recognizing it and helping preemie families.

[LovedbcHim]

Of course I didn't produce much and the nurse at that time was like "We didn't o.k that yet" but she was happy that she latched and actually got a little snack, but at the time she was just the tiniest little thing. It was like holding a small puppy in my arms, only this baby was my daughter. My mom actually wonders why I dwell on my daughter being so early, but the truth is even though it was hard, I cherish those memories. I think cherishing that time was what helped us stay strong.

[LovedbcHim]

I had some wonderful NICU nurses when my daughter was born at 27.5 weeks. They were very encouraging, many of them pro-life and loved each one of their babies including our daughter. It was hard but great. I had to learn to listen to my maternal instincts and the doctors and nurses at the same time. I can remember the time that my daughter first nursed, and the dr. hadn't given the o.k yet, but I was curious if she would latch and she did so she got a little snack.

[threewishesgranted]

Nurse on my 1st Girls day of birth got upset as I asked her permission in holding my child for 1 attempt at a breastfeed. When I got her to latch on. my 1st Girl was holding my hair & the nurse was grumpy & said "Put your hair up, its in her way!" I had to take my 1st Girl off my breast to get a hair tye. I never learnt 2 breastfeed her

[threewishesgranted]

Nurse on my 1st Girls day of birth Was rude when I talked about how cute my 1st Daughters foot was, she had a pulse oximeter on one foot, & due to the nurses insecurity she thought I might touch her foot with the pulse oximeter on it because when I said her foot was cute she said "Don't touch her foot or you will start a code blue!"

[threewishesgranted]

RN -Nurse on my 1st Girls day of birth was insecure, perhaps she had seen alot of bad things happen to children/people in her line of work-nursing, so went I went to visit my baby in NNU who was not dying and not in a NICU. She was not happy about me visiting my 1st Girl in NNU when I was allowed to vist my 1st Girl in NNU.

[ILoveMySoldierRyan]

This is a really great program... im currently interacting with it now... my twin daughters were born march 1 at 29 weeks gestation and are still in the NICU and will be there for another month or so.... and i do have compassion for all the families there.... im actually great friends with some other mothers now.

[bebetigre12]

not referring to you !!!!!!!!!Why do you think it is about you? Silly Mom.

[bebetigre12]

Families are some of the worst offenders in the nicu.I am not talking about the families of really sick infants but of those that are there for just shhort term treatment and will go home soon.They are so selfish and think their child is the only one in the nicu.Rude nasty ,childish.They have no compassion for those parents that are suffering with a real crisis.They make being near a nicu a living hell.

[CallysMommy]

she's doing awesome! a plump 18lbs.