EBB 284 - How to Help NICU Families Find Empowerment and Healing During their Challenging Journeys with Hollis Wakefield

In this episode, I'm joined by Hollis Wakefield, also known as The NICU Doula. Join us as we delve into a crucial topic: how to help NICU families find empowerment and healing during their challenging journeys.

Hollis is a former NICU parent turned birth worker, educator, and family advocate, and she shares her own powerful story of navigating a traumatic birth, early delivery, and the emotional roller coaster of having a medically complex baby in the NICU. She sheds light on the critical gaps in support and resources that many NICU families encounter, from the emotional toll to practical challenges, and highlights the importance of empowering NICU families during their transition from the NICU to home and provides insights into her work as an educator for doulas supporting NICU families.

Content Warning: The conversation includes discussions about birth trauma, PTSD, and the potential for distressing experiences in the NICU environment.

 

Follow The NICU Doula on Instagram

Learn more about Hollis and her work below:

• NICU Doula website: nicudoula.com
• NICU Lovey's website: niculovies.org

Learn about Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Awareness Month

Click here for information from March of Dimes on preterm labor and premature birth.

For the Evidence Based Birth® Signature Article on Premature Rupture of Membranes, click here.

Listen to EBB episodes:

• EBB 281 - Mini Q&A about Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes
• EBB 266 – Advocating for your Newborn during an Unexpected NICU Stay with EBB Childbirth Class Graduates Priscilla and Nathan Layman
• EBB 93 – Unexpected Pre-Term Hospital Birth with Melissa Cassity

For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on

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Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.