Pictures of Hope for NICU Parents

I have know about resources for Bereavement Photography for dying babies and have written articles on this blog (see the collection at the end) and other places about resources available to grieving NICU parents. I hadn't know about photography resources for living NICU babies, which is what Pictures of Hope does.

According to their website, "Pictures of Hope is a charitable organization of professional photographers who provide complimentary, documentary-style, photography sessions to babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and their families."

This charitable organization of professional photographers from the United States and Canada provide complimentary, documentary-style, photography sessions to babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and their families.

Many of the photographers providing their services to the Pictures of Hope Foundations were themselves once NICU parents, so they understand what it is like to be in the NICU and are somehow about to find ways to take beautiful, hopeful NICU photographs.

Pictures of Hope is a wonderful resource for NICU Parents. You can find out more about their services and find a photographer by visiting their website

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A related article is on the Type-A Mom site under the NICU section of Mom Stages.


Dyer KA. Pictures of Hope: A Wonderful Resource for NICU Parents. Type-A Mom.

More on Bereavement Photography

Dyer KA. Creating Memories of a Dying Baby For Parents Through Photography. NICU Parent Support Site.
Dyer KA. Todd Hochberg - Touching Souls with Bereavement Photography. NICU Parent Support Site.
Dyer KA.Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (Bereavement Photography) on NBC's Today Show. NICU Parent Support Site. 

Comforting Moment: Mysteries Revealed During Times of Struggle

Even in the midst of a personal turmoil NICU Parents are often able to discover what they are truly grateful for in life as noted in this quote by author Sarah Ban Breathnach.

Ironically,
gratitude's most powerful mysteries
are often revealed
when we are struggling
in the midst
of personal turmoil.

Sarah Ban Breathnach

After our NICU experience, I discovered what was really important. For me it was family and friends who support you through challenging times and ultimately having a healthy child. I no longer take the health of my children for granted.

My children's health is something that even years later I continue to be grateful for on a daily basis.

Other Posts on Gratitude and being Grateful

Dyer KA. 2009. Having a Memorable Merry Christmas in the NICU. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2009.Celebrating Christmas in the NICU. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2009. Being Thankful at Thanksgiving in the NICU. NICU Parent Support Blog.

Dyer KA. 2007. 7/22 - Encouraging Message - Balancing on a Tight rope and Gratitude in the NICU?. NICU Parent Support Blog.

Image: René Blankenstein. Heart in Heart. Royalty Free Use.

Having a Memorable Merry Christmas in the NICU

A new article on the Type-A Mom site, published just in time for Christmas. This article on Making it a Merry Christmas in the NICU, focuses on ways that some generous people and organizations are helping to make Christmas in the NICU a better time for NICU parents.

Three of the ways are crafty ways of coping with the NICU.

Knitting in the NICU at Christmas

One of my favorite crafty NICU Projects is Respiratory Therapist Glenna Muse's Knitting in the NICU.

For Christmas this year she created a collection of holiday inspired hats with Santa hats, Camo Santa hats, Christmas Tree hats, and Rudolf hats.

Read about the Thanksgiving NICU hats at the Thanksgiving is a Time to be Thankful post and more about her mission to bring hats to NICU babies at her blog, A Fridge Full of Food.

Afghans for NICU Babies

Another project that I liked, showing how NICU Parents are giving back is the Afghan for NICU Babies being organized by Kathryn from Vacaville, CA. She posted posted information about the 3rd Annual Afghans for NICU Babies for Christmas on the Crochetville Forum and has already starting the 4th Annual Afghans for NICU Babies for Christmas for Christmas 2010.

You can read more about the Afghans for NICU Babies on her post at the Crochetville Forum.

Christmas Poems

One of the more inspired NICU Christmas poems, "Jolly Old St. NICU" was written in 2005 by the Daddy of Benjamin, Casey, Danielle and Emily (in memory).

'Twas the night before Christmas, and in each isolette
Little creatures were squirming and getting all set;
Machinery sat by their bedsides with care,
In hopes that good breathing skills soon would be there.

The full version of the poem, "Jolly Old St. NICU" can be found on the PreemieCare.org site.

Read even more ways that people are helping NICU Parents have a Merrier Christmas in the Making it a Merry Christmas in the NICU on Type-A Mom.

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A related article is on the Type-A Mom site under the NICU section of Mom Stages.


More on Holidays in the NICU


Dyer KA. 2009. Making it a Merry Christmas in the NICU. Type-A Mom.

Dyer KA. 2009. Tips for Celebrating and Coping with Christmas in the NICU. Type-A Mom.

Dyer KA. 2009. Giving Thanks Even when Thanksgiving is in the NICU. Type A Mom.
Dyer KA. 2009. Encouraging Message: The Full, True Thanksgiving Comes from the Heart. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2009. Being Thankful at Thanksgiving in the NICU. NICU Parent Support Blog.

Image: Glenna Muse. Knitting for the NICU: Christmas '09. Used with Permission.

Celebrating Christmas in the NICU

Christmas in the NICU can be a very challenging time for NICU parents. Instead of being able to wrap gifts and decorate a tree, they are spending hours in the NICU worried about the health and well being of their new baby and trying to survive this major life challenge.

Understandably, it may be difficult to get into the holidays spirit and wish others a "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holiday."

This quote from W. C. Jones, may be a way to help NICU parents shift their perspective to be better able to cope with Christmas in the NICU:

The joy of brightening other lives,
bearing each others' burdens,
easing others' loads and
supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts
becomes for us the magic of Christmas.

I have always found that focusing on others who may be even in a worse situations when I am feeling blue about my own circumstances helps to lift my spirits.

This quote sounds like NICU parents, NICU staff and generous NICU volunteers all pulling together during the holidays to brighten each others' lives and ease each others' burdens. It is possible that despite the NICU surroundings, NICU parents can still create a festive atmosphere and share the holiday spirit. The recent article on Tips for Celebrating and Coping with Christmas in the NICU that I wrote for Type-A Mom provides a lot of helpful suggestions for coping with Christmas in the NICU.

NICU Parents need to remember that this is the first Christmas you get to celebrate with your new baby, even if it is in the NICU. There are many simple ways and simple things to make that holiday season special for your family will help you to create some happy memories of your baby's first (NICU) Christmas.

Wishing NICU Parents everywhere a happy holiday.

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A related article is on the Type-A Mom site under the NICU section of Mom Stages.


More on Holidays in the NICU

Dyer KA. 2009. Tips for Celebrating and Coping with Christmas in the NICU. Type-A Mom.

Dyer KA. 2009. Giving Thanks Even when Thanksgiving is in the NICU. Type A Mom.
Dyer KA. 2009. Encouraging Message: The Full, True Thanksgiving Comes from the Heart. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2009. Being Thankful at Thanksgiving in the NICU. NICU Parent Support Blog.

Image: Nick. Goodchild. Christmas Tree. Royalty Free Use. 

More Gift Ideas for NICU Parents

Christmas is a time of gift-giving. Even with a baby in the NICU, NICU parents would still like to be remembered at this holiday of goodwill.

To help family and friends make picking a gift less challenging, I've put together a list of different gift ideas for NICU Parents that are helpful suggestions for gifts whether given at Christmas or any other time of the year.

Some of these gift suggestions are for the parents, some for the baby, some the parents can use or gift to their own NICU baby.

• A NICU Book - There are many helpful books for NICU Parents. Two of the classics are Parenting Your Premature Baby and Child and The Preemie Parents' Companion and for those interested in Kangaroo Care Kangaroo Care: The Best You Can Do to Help Your Preterm Infant.
• A NICU Remembrance - the Violet Heart - The Violet Heart is the pin that I created following our NICU experience and has been featured in the The Violet Heart Pin - A Remembrance Pin to Honor a NICU Baby post. 
• A Custom Mom's Necklace or Bracelet - The Custom Mom's Necklace or Bracelet were featured in a recent post on Gift Ideas for NICU Parents - A Custom Necklace or Bracelet.  
• A NICU Journal or NICU Scrapbook - One of my favorite NICU specific journals is the Preemie Book of Memories. Another journal Letters To Your Child helps parents organize their thoughts in letters to your baby. 
• A Water Blessing Label - Water blessing labels are available from the Spirit of Water Website. I love the sentiment of turning water (or I.V. fluids) into liquid prayers.
• A Zaky Hand - The Zaky Hand or Theraputic Positioning Pillow has been featured in several blog posts most recently The Zaky - A Comforting Hand for Your NICU Baby.
  

You can read even more about Gift Ideas for NICU Parents at the Type-A Mom article or the Squidoo article with Gift Ideas for NICU Parents.

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A related article is on the Type-A Mom site under the NICU section of Mom Stages.


More Gift Ideas


Dyer KA. 2009. Gift Ideas for NICU Parents and NICU Babies. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2009. Gift Ideas for NICU Parents - A Custom Necklace or Bracelet. NICU Parent Support Blog.

Dyer KA. 2009. Gift Ideas for NICU Parents. Squidoo.com.
Dyer KA. 2009. Gift Ideas for NICU Babies. Squidoo.com.

Image: Jeff Prieb. Christmas Present. Royalty Free Use.

Thanksgiving: A Time to Be Thankful, Even in the NICU

As promised, a link to the new article from the Type A Mom site, on Giving Thanks Even when Thanksgiving is in the NICU.

In the article you will find a number of ways that generous people are helping NICU parents to be able to give thanks, even in the NICU. I've shared a couple already in previous posts this week.

Some of my favorites are the creative ways that people are helping NICU Parents to cope.

Earlier this month, The Preemie Clothes Guide posted Patterns and Ideas for Thanksgiving Preemie Blankets with links to different blanket patterns plus with suggestions for ways to modify the patterns to create special Thanksgiving preemie blankets.

Respiratory Therapist, Glenna Muse post of the 2009 Official Thanksgiving Turkey Hat was my inspiration to find the many ways that people are helping NICU parents to give thanks. She knits out of love for these little babies and shares why she is Thankful this Thanksgiving.

Those babies and these hats make me joyous. It's that simple. Every time I hold a three pound baby and every time I plop one of my silly little hats onto one of those tiny little heads I see God in their eyes and for those moments I am a mountain of faith that the world is a wondrous place and we are blessed to be here, all connected as one big family on Earth.

On this Thanksgiving I am thankful for all of our little miracles and that I am so lucky to play a part, through respiratory therapy and by knitting hats, in their first days in this life.

I will be posting a blog next year about Glenna Muse's efforts on Knitting in the NICU.

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A related article is on the Type-A Mom site under the NICU section of Mom Stages.


More

Dyer KA. 2009. Giving Thanks Even when Thanksgiving is in the NICU. Type A Mom.
Dyer KA. 2009. Encouraging Message: The Full, True Thanksgiving Comes from the Heart. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2009. Being Thankful at Thanksgiving in the NICU. NICU Parent Support Blog.

Image: Glenna Muse. 2009 Official NICU Thanksgiving Mascot Turkey Hat. Used with Permission.

Encouraging Message: The Full, True Thanksgiving Comes from the Heart

I discovered this clip on YouTube when searching for Thanksgiving in the NICU. It is quite silly, but a lot of fun. Most of all it demonstrates a lot of heart on the part of these NICU Nurses staging their own version of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the NICU.

A Thanksgiving Parade in the NICU



To me, these NICU Nurses embody the full, the true meaning of Thanksgiving, giving from thanks from the heart.

He who thanks but with the lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart.

J.A. Shedd

I've got a new article awaiting publishing on the Type-A Mom site on "Giving Thanks Even when Thanksgiving is in the NICU."

I'll publish the link when it is live.

Being Thankful at Thanksgiving in the NICU

Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks and expressing gratitude. Sometimes it is difficult to imagine still being grateful when your baby is in the NICU.

We were lucky with our NICU daughter that the only holiday we spent was Easter (she was actually transferred to a higher level of care NICU on Easter Sunday).

This YouTube Clip from Q13 Fox News Seattle shows how one hospital was making Thanksgiving a bit brighter for NICU parents.



For this Thanksgiving I'd like to share a quote on gratitude which may help NICU parents facing the chaos and confusion in the NICU:

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events.

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Melodie Beattie

May you still be able to express gratitude this Thanksgiving, even if it is being spent in the NICU. I hope that you will find a sense of peace for today and a vision for tomorrow.

More:

Dyer KA. Encouraging Message - Balancing on a Tight rope and Gratitude in the NICU? NICU Parent Support Blog.