This week we chat with Kelli Kelley, a 2x NICU parent who is also the founder and CEO of Hand to Hold, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing emotional support, education, and community to parents who have had children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or the loss of a baby.Quick Call Outs from the Episode:Our challenges don’t end at the NICUKelli shares how at first, she was reluctant to even step foot in the NICU after her son was born, but she was encouraged because she knew that he would know her voice and her presenceIt does take time to find your “sea legs”, or “NICU legs”We all have our NICU story, and many of those begin with a difficult and traumatic delivery, and can then be followed by difficult, challenging, ongoing medical journeys.No matter if your time there is 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, or beyond… you need supportWhen you go home a new journey beginsBy talking about the experience with your kids, and advocating for them, they can come to learn to advocate for themselves and to see how far they have come!Kelli spent 4 months in the NICU with her son, and 1 week with her daughter. They had very different journeys, and in some ways, the second time was even more difficult.Reminder about Early Intervention - the earlier parents in the NICU understand their child’s risk factors, the earlier parents can access supportPost-Covid, people understand how difficult isolating for health reasons can be on mental health. It keeps the conversation open.Hand to Hold provides support in every NICU in Austin where they are located, as well as other hospitals in TX. They also:have a podcast for parents, and a podcast for professionalshost a free virtual conference in the fall for parents and for professionalsoffer several support groupshave a brand new apphave great resources en EspañolLet's keep in touch!You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and our website, www.nicualumni.org. You can also support our mission and help create brighter futures for babies that have graduated from the NICU (who we affectionately refer to as NICU Alumni) and their families by donating here.The purpose of this podcast is for entertainment only and should not be viewed as medical advice.

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