Leave a Zaky hand with Your NICU Baby - Providing Comfort When You are Not There

I think one of the most difficult things for NICU parents to do is to realize that they cannot stay with their NICU baby 24/7 and at some time you have to leave the hospital and your precious baby behind.

I discovered a wonderful product designed by a former NICU Parent that helps provide support and comfort to a NICU baby while you are not there - The Zaky®.

This product is an answer to the questions "What can I do to support my NICU baby?" I know we would have gotten one for our daughter had they been around at the time.

About the The Zaky®
The Zaky® was designed by a NICU parent, Yamile Jackson, who has a PhD in ergonomics & human factors engineering after her own NICU experience with her son Zachary in 2001.

The award-winning ergonomic, bonding, therapeutic positioning pillow was designed especially for premature babies that have to be left at the hospital away from their parents.

The special hand allows you to "leave a hand with a loved one" and "give your baby a hand" when you are not there.

By mimicking the shape, weight and touch of a human hand, the Zaky® provides comfort to NICU babies (and others) giving support and a sense of security. In the NICU setting, the Zaky® can be another helpful hand assisting with positioning.

Providing Comfort When You are Not There
Here is a list of some of the comforting benefits provided by this ergonomic, bonding, therapeutic positioning pillow.

• The size and weight simulates the hand and touch of the mother.
• It may be used on top, around and under the baby to provide boundaries (except on the face).
• Babies feel reassured as if someone is touching them, which assists in their need of feeling protected.
• It assists nurses and care givers as she can leave a Zaky® with each baby.
• Parents feel as they are leaving one hand with their baby, helping them feel more involved in the care of the patient.
• May be warmed in the towel warmer at hospitals and on the dryer at home.

In addition the Zaky® can be scented with the scent of mom, dad, or siblings. Scenting the Zaky® can provide a great deal of comfort and assist the baby's transitions to different environments in the hospital, in the car or once at home. The Zaky® is something constant and helps to reduce the shock many baby's experience with different lighting, scents, sounds, temperature, etc.

Uses - NICU and Others
The Zaky® has been used by mothers, fathers and family members, neonatologists, pediatricians, surgeons, obgyns, nurses, physical & occupational therapists, infant massage therapists, developmental specialists & ergonomists. It has been used in NICUs since 2001 and in homes and child care facilities since 2004.

In addition to being used in the NICU setting, the Zaky® is also being used to provide comfort in other settings:

• In hospitals for children and adults that have long hospital stays due to cancer, burn treatments and others.
• In child care centers and at home for children to use as a comforting security item.
  
• In hospitals to help position patients after surgical procedures.
  
• In nursing homes to provide comfort and a sense of security to seniors.

Oboz Program - Donate a Zaky® to Your NICU
This is a great idea. The Zakeez company has already donated over 2,000 Zakys to NICUs worldwide to help their sickest children. They donate the Zaky® to the hospital that you specify and all you have to do is pay for minimal administration fees, shipping and handling. You can donate a Zaky® to your NICU for $7.98.

More about the Oboz Program: http://www.zakeez.com/en/our_company/oboz_program.php

Research
The Zaky® has been presented at several conferences on"Human Hand Mimetic Comforts High Risk Neonates" and "The benefits of the Zaky for mothers, babies, and medical personnel." http://www.zakeez.com/en/our_company/research.php

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Ordering Information for NICU Parents:
I have included the prices when the blog was posted. The Zaky comes as a right hand or as a left hand.

• Order from the Zaky Website $ 49.95 (For a limited time they are doing a Buy 1 get the second at 50% OFF)
• Order from Mom4Life.com - $45.95
• Order from Type-A Mom.com - $34.97
  

From the Zaky site - Is there a difference between the Right and the Left Hand?

• There appears to be no difference for the baby.
• Right and left hands are offered because it looks more natural to have one of each if they are use on the same baby.
• Some parents have preferences--if they are right handed, they want a right Zaky, if they use their left handed, they want a left hand.
  
• Many parents choose to get the Zaky in the hand that they use the most to provide comfort for their baby, which may not always be their dominant hand.
  

More Sources:
Premature Benefits: http://thezaky.com/en/zaky/premature_benefits.php
Research: http://www.zakeez.com/en/our_company/research.php
Zaky Movie: http://thezaky.com/en/zaky/zaky_jjmovie.php

Photo Source: Zakeez

Water Blessing Labels Turn Water (or Medicine) into Liquid Prayers

When I stumbled upon this website, I immediately loved the concept of using words as a simple way to enhance healing especially in the hospital setting and turn water or medicine into a liquid blessing for the patient and also for the family members.

Their motto seemed to resonate with me also:


Transform your water into Liquid Prayers.

The concept is simple. The Spirit of Water company has created crystal clear static-cling labels that be placed on containers of water or other fluids.

The idea that I liked the most was using these labels was one of the testimonials that I saw by a Chemotherapy nurse. She used the labels in the hospital setting, placing words of encouragement "courage" and "love" for her patient on I.V. fluids.

The wheels started turning as to how these labels could be used in the NICU setting to support NICU Parents and NICU Babies.


Empowering Parents to Participate in the Healing Process
My greatest frustration in being a NICU Parent was the helplessness and the feeling that I was not able to contribute anything to my daughter's care.

The inability to do anything, to contribute to my daughter’s care medically as a physician or emotionally to hold her hand and pacify her as a mother was indescribably frustrating. How was I supposed to "turn off" my years of training as a physician—being in the hospital, caring for patients and providing them comfort during a tormenting time? It was impossible.

We used several different additional modalities--music, blessings and touch--when my daughter was in the NICU. These were things that I thought to bring in as part of a more Integrative Approach to care, a way that I could participate in her care and enhance her treatment. It was my hope that these additional treatments would bolster her inherent strength and inner healing abilities.

Many of these ways of helping a NICU baby that we used have since been shown in research studies to have some positive benefits with NICU babies. If nothing else, as long as the treatment is not harming the baby, I think letting parents 'do something' to actively participate in their child's care is very important.

Using Water Blessing Labels in the NICU setting
If the water blessing labels had been available at the time, I would have asked the NICU staff put them on her I.V. fluids. (e.g. love, healing, trust, courage, guidance).

I also would have used them on any bottled water we were drinking (e.g. love, healing energy, manifesting miracles) as another way to feel that we were doing something by holding her in our foremost thoughts and using the power of words and positive thoughts even if we weren't with her.

Favorite Words or Combinations
This is a list of my favorite words or word combinations from their various collections. Maybe with enough interest, the company will eventually develop a line for the hospital setting.

• From the Healing Medicine Collection - energy, courage, healing, wholeness, breakthrough, nurturance, body wisdom, healing + energy
• From the Personal Growth Collection - love, health, trust, strength, success, vitality, gratitude
  
• From the Prosperity Collection - focus, trust, success, miracles, manifest + miracles, gratitude
  

Source:
The Spirit of Water Website - http://www.thespiritofwater.com/
Testimonials - http://www.thespiritofwater.com/Miracles.htm
Observing Mother's Day with Renewed Appreciation - http://www.journeyofhearts.org/resources/momday.html