Introduction
Welcome to the Empowering NICU Parents’ Podcast!
The Empowering NICU Parents’ Podcast blends professional insight with deeply personal experience in a way that every NICU parent and clinician can relate to.
In this episode, you’ll hear from Dr. Melinda Elliott—a nationally recognized neonatologist with decades of experience caring for premature and medically fragile infants. Dr. Elliott shares not only her incredible clinical insight but also heartfelt stories that underscore the powerful and often underestimated role of parental presence and engagement in the NICU.
We explore how skin-to-skin care is far more than a comforting gesture—it’s a medically proven intervention that can improve physiological stability, promote bonding, increase milk supply, and contribute to better developmental outcomes. You’ll hear personal stories on the emotional impact skin-to-skin care can truly have on connection, bonding, and its ability to help infants thrive!
We also dive into the critical topic of NICU nutrition, including what parents need to know about fortification—the practice of adding nutrients to human milk for premature babies. Dr. Elliott breaks down the differences between cow milk–based and human milk–based fortifiers, what parents should ask their infant’s care team, and how an exclusive human milk diet can reduce the risk of serious complications like necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Dr. Elliott helps to break down NEC in a way that is easy to understand and discuss what makes some infants more vulnerable and what steps can be taken to help protect them.
Dr. Elliott also shares key insights from her role as Chief Medical Officer at Prolacta Bioscience and from her published clinical research on human milk nutrition, breastfeeding practices in mothers of very low birth weight infants, and long-term developmental outcomes in preemies.
Throughout the episode, we reflect on the reality that no one expects to find themselves in the NICU—but when they do, parents deserve to be fully informed, deeply supported, and confidently engaged in their baby’s care. Whether you’re a NICU parent navigating the unknown, a former NICU parent turned advocate, or a clinician striving to deliver more family-centered care, this episode is filled with guidance, clarity, and compassion.
Dr. Elliott’s decades of experience and unwavering dedication to babies and families shine through, and I know her words will leave you feeling more empowered and more equipped—because when parents are engaged and informed, it has the ability to provide beneficial outcomes for the infant and parents.
The Why Behind Empowering NICU Parents – Empowering NICU Parents' Podcast
- The Why Behind Empowering NICU Parents
- From NICU Experience to Nonprofit Mission: A Family’s Journey to Today Is a Good Day
- The Lifelong Journey and Impact of Premature Birth: What Families Should Know
- Wave of Light: Finding Light After Loss
- Culture, Belief, and a Committed Team: The University of Iowa NICU Redefines What’s Possible
- Hope Against All Odds: Nash Keen’s Journey as the Most Premature Infant to Survive
Episode Sponsors
Dr. Brown’s Medical
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Our NICU Roadmap
Our NICU Roadmap is the only NICU journal parents will need. Our journal is a great resource for NICU parents with educational content, answers to many of their questions, a full glossary plus specific areas to document their baby’s progress each day while in the NICU. Our NICU Roadmap equips parents with questions to ask their baby’s care team each day as well as a designated place to keep track of their baby’s weight, lab values, respiratory settings, feedings, and the plan of care each day. Most importantly, Our NICU Roadmap guides parents and empowers them so they can confidently become and remain an active member of their baby’s care team.
Our NICU Roadmap is available for purchase on Amazon or contact us at empoweringnicuparents@yahoo.com to order in bulk at a discounted price for your hospital or organization.
Click HERE for additional information and images of Our NICU Roadmap.
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Episode 71
Our Guest
Dr. Melinda Elliott
Dr. Melinda Elliott is a true leader in neonatal care, and she has dedicated her entire career to supporting the most vulnerable babies. After earning her medical degree from West Virginia University School of Medicine, she trained extensively at the University of Florida—completing her residency in pediatrics, serving as chief resident, and finishing her fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. She’s held clinical leadership roles at several esteemed institutions including The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Union Memorial, Franklin Square Hospital Center, and The Herman and Walter Samuelson Children’s Hospital at Sinai in Baltimore.
Dr. Elliott also serves as the Chief Medical Officer at Prolacta Bioscience, where she works to improve outcomes for preterm infants by advancing the use of human milk-based fortifiers in the NICU.
Her research has focused on two crucial areas in neonatology: the benefits of an exclusive human milk-based diet for extremely low birth weight infants, and the breastfeeding practices of mothers of very low birth weight and micro-preemie babies. Her clinical findings have been published in respected academic journals.
Prolacta Bioscience
We discover, develop, and deliver life-changing solutions for critically ill babies and other vulnerable patients through innovative human milk research and leadership in quality and safety
From Childhood Dreams to NICU Leadership: Dr. Melinda Elliott’s Journey
Dr. Melinda Elliott’s passion for neonatology began early. Born and raised in West Virginia, she knew from a young age that she wanted to be a baby doctor. As a child, she and her best friend Jenny dreamed of going into the medical field together—Melinda as a baby doctor and Jenny as a baby nurse. That early dream stayed with both of them, and while their careers eventually took them in different directions, Dr. Elliott never lost sight of her goal. During her medical training, she explored other areas to specialize in, but ultimately felt most drawn to the NICU. It was the place where she felt she could make the biggest difference—not only for fragile newborns, but for the families who love them.
The Emotional Toll of the NICU
Dr. Elliott and I quickly found common ground as we reflected on how disorienting and overwhelming the NICU experience can be for families. Even though I had years of experience as a NICU nurse and NNP, nothing prepared me for the emotional toll of having my own son admitted to the NICU. Dr. Elliott emphasized that most parents do not anticipate meeting a neonatologist or navigating the complexities of intensive care. We agreed that parents are often thrust into a world filled with monitors, alarms, and medical terminology, making it feel alien and intimidating.
Dr. Elliott underscored the importance of remembering that each parent is entering the NICU in a state of trauma and should be met with empathy, patience, and clear communication. She explained that even parents who anticipate a NICU stay—whether due to prenatal diagnoses or high-risk pregnancies—cannot truly grasp what lies ahead until they are living it. Throughout our conversation, it was clear that Dr. Elliott is deeply passionate about working with parents and ensuring they feel supported throughout their NICU journey. Even though the NICU is the last place any parent wants to be, she works to make the environment less intimidating and more inclusive, helping families feel more grounded and engaged during such a difficult and uncertain time.
The Powerful Impact of Parental Engagement
In our conversation, one of the most striking and important themes we discussed was the powerful impact that parental engagement has—not only on the infant’s health, but also on the parents’ well-being and their ability to connect and bond with their baby. Dr. Elliott describes parental presence as one of the most critical components of care that cannot be replicated by medical staff. She explains that parents know their baby better than anyone else and are often the first to notice subtle changes in their infant’s behavior or condition.
Dr. Elliott and I both stress that parents should be encouraged to take part in routine care activities such as diaper changes, mouth care, and bathing. I also emphasize the importance of connecting with your bedside nurse—sharing your concerns and questions with them directly. Often, they can be powerful allies and help advocate for your baby and for you as parents when needed. These tasks, though seemingly small, provide parents with a sense of control and connection in a setting where both are often stripped away. Dr. Elliott also urges care teams to proactively include parents in rounds and to ask for their observations and concerns. When that’s not possible, she recommends clinicians circle back one-on-one to continue the conversation in a more approachable way.
Skin-to-Skin Contact: More Than Just Comfort
As a NICU parent, I shared how my husband and I held our son, William, skin-to-skin for hours each day once we were able to during our NICU stay. Those moments were incredibly healing, felt absolutely essential, and were truly the best part of each day.
Dr. Elliott echoed this deeply and reiterated just how critical kangaroo care is for both the baby and the parents. She passionately discussed the evidence behind skin-to-skin care as a medical intervention—not just a nice-to-have experience. She shared a moving story about a baby born at 26 weeks who was abandoned by her biological family and failed to thrive until a volunteer named Ann began visiting her regularly to hold her skin-to-skin. The baby’s progress was almost immediate—her weight increased, her activity level improved, and she began to truly thrive.
This experience, Dr. Elliott says, reinforced what many studies have shown: that skin-to-skin care contributes to greater physiological stability, improved bonding, and even long-term developmental benefits. We both agree that skin-to-skin care should be normalized and supported by staff, and we encourage parents to ask about it daily—even if the baby is not yet stable enough. Asking repeatedly keeps the conversation open and signals to the care team that the family is eager to be involved.
Feeding Premature Infants: Nutrition, Fortification, and the Importance of Advocacy
As our conversation continued, we transitioned into one of the most critical aspects of NICU care—nutrition. It’s a topic that parents often do not realize they can or should ask about when their infant is so young and critical, but it’s one of the most impactful pieces of their infant’s care plan. Dr. Elliott and I talked about the importance of parents understanding exactly what their infant is being fed, even in the very beginning.
We spent time discussing the feeding progression in the NICU—from IV nutrition to small volumes of milk to the introduction of fortifiers—and how parents can initiate conversations with their care team to better understand their baby’s nutrition. Dr. Elliott clarified the difference between cow milk-based and human milk-based fortifiers. Although both may be labeled as “human milk fortifier,” only one is actually made from human milk. She explained how human milk-based fortifiers, such as those provided by Prolacta, can offer more protection for extremely premature infants.
A Parent-Friendly Overview of NEC
Our discussion transitioned naturally into necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a condition Dr. Elliott is passionate about helping families understand. She explained that NEC is a serious and often sudden intestinal disease that affects primarily extremely premature infants. While it can progress rapidly, she emphasized that it is often preventable with the right nutritional strategy—particularly the early use of human milk-based feedings.
Dr. Elliott described how NEC can result in significant complications, including surgery or even death, and that its causes are complex but often linked to the immaturity of the infant’s digestive system, inflammation, and exposure to cow’s milk-based products. We discussed how an exclusive human milk diet has been shown to significantly lower the risk of NEC.
Dr. Elliott and I both agree that parents should feel empowered to ask what type of fortifier their baby is receiving. Even if their hospital doesn’t currently provide human milk-based options, parents can and should speak up—because knowing and advocating for what your baby is being fed in the NICU can truly change outcomes. If a NICU is in the process of considering or obtaining access to Prolacta products and there is a temporary pause in availability, we noted that care teams can hold off on introducing fortifiers and instead continue to increase the infant’s feeding volume with human milk alone until Prolacta is available. This allows the baby to continue progressing nutritionally without introducing cow milk-based products unnecessarily.
She shared clinical findings showing that babies who receive Prolacta’s human milk-based fortifiers experience fewer complications like NEC, BPD, and ROP, and in some cases, even show improved motor outcomes by age three. I added my own experience, noting that my son received Prolacta in the hospital where he was a patient back in 2014.
If parents have any questions regarding Prolacta, they can call the parent support hotline anytime at 1-888-413-9885.
Empowering Parents Through Advocacy and Questions
To close the episode, Dr. Elliott and I reflected on the importance of equipping parents to advocate confidently for their baby. We emphasize that no question is a bad question and that it is perfectly normal for parents to need information repeated multiple times. Dr. Elliott reminds listeners that NICUs are staffed by teams, so if one explanation doesn’t resonate, it’s okay to ask another provider. She encourages parents to find a nurse, doctor, or therapist they feel comfortable with and to keep asking until they understand. I echoed this, noting that parents are often so overwhelmed by trauma that even simple explanations can be difficult to absorb. We stress that parents asking about their infant’s nutrition, milk fortification, how they can become more involved in their care is not only appropriate—it’s essential.
This episode ends with a heartfelt reminder that parents are not visitors in the NICU; they are vital members of the care team. When parents are supported, informed, and empowered, it truly has the potential to make significant positive changes—for the infants and the entire family unit.
Prolacta Bioscience
Transforming care for vulnerable babies through the power of human milk fortifiers
Closing
I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Melinda Elliott—not only for her decades of dedication to the neonatal population, but also for her deep passion for serving and supporting the parents of these infants during such an incredibly difficult time. Her wisdom, compassion, and commitment to both clinical excellence and family-centered care came through so clearly in this conversation, and I’m truly honored she joined me on the podcast.
Throughout our conversation, Dr. Elliott and I discussed the common emotional and medical complexities of the NICU experience. We talked about the importance of family-centered care, the powerful impact of skin-to-skin contact, and how parents can and should be active participants in their baby’s care from the very beginning.
We also took a deeper look into the condition known as NEC—necrotizing enterocolitis—and why proper nutrition plays such a critical role in both prevention and long-term outcomes. Dr. Elliott shared valuable insights from her role as Chief Medical Officer at Prolacta Bioscience, explaining the science and benefits behind human milk-based fortifiers.
And remember an incredibly important takeaway: even if your hospital does not currently use a human milk-based fortifier like the one provided by Prolacta, you can request it. Parents have a voice, and they have the right to ask questions and advocate for what they believe is best for their baby.
Whether you’re a NICU parent navigating day by day, or a clinician working to better support families and improve outcomes, I hope this conversation left you feeling more informed, encouraged, and empowered.
Because no one should walk the NICU journey alone.
Until next time—stay strong, stay compassionate, stay kind, and keep leading with love.
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