Premature birth impacts far more than the diagnoses most commonly discussed in the NICU. Early experiences, stress, caregiving interactions, and family involvement all shape the developing brain in profound ways. This episode explores neuroprotective, family-centered care and how small, intentional choices can influence a child’s development and long-term outcomes far beyond discharge.
Introduction Welcome to the Empowering NICU Parents’ Podcast! Our podcast …
Martha Sharkey shares how an unexpected delivery at 23 weeks reshaped her family’s life, from navigating the NICU and enduring loss to building Today Is a Good Day, a nonprofit supporting NICU families. Her story shows how lived experience can grow into purpose and connection for others.
Explore the lifelong impact of premature birth—medically, developmentally, and emotionally. This episode sheds light on how early experiences shape growth beyond the NICU and empowers parents with knowledge, compassion, and hope.
Born at 21 weeks, Nash Keen is the youngest infant ever to survive. Two University of Iowa neonatologists share how culture, belief, and neonatal hemodynamics shaped his care—and what it means to see fragile babies go home after months in the NICU.
Born at just 21 weeks and 285 grams, Nash Keen defied impossible odds. In this episode, Mollie Keen shares their family’s extraordinary NICU journey—filled with fear, resilience, and hope—as Nash became the most premature baby to survive, officially recognized by Guinness World Records.
This episode explores practical strategies to support breastfeeding in the NICU, the Infant-Driven Feeding™ (IDF) Program, new research on long-term outcomes, and lessons from a successful feeding clinic—empowering parents and clinicians to create positive feeding experiences from hospital to home.
In this episode, Elisa Doherty and Lisa Kleinz explore the challenges of infant feeding, the importance of truly listening to families’ goals, and how the Infant Feeding Clinic and Infant-Driven Feeding® (IDF™) Program support parents from NICU to home, fostering connection, confidence, and long-term feeding success.
Parental presence and nutrition in the NICU can change everything. In this episode, Dr. Melinda Elliott shares how skin-to-skin care, asking the right questions, and understanding what’s really in your baby’s fortifier can dramatically impact outcomes. A must-listen for every NICU parent and advocate.
Dr. Michael Hynan shares how becoming a NICU parent reshaped his life and career. He reminds us that healing takes time, support matters, and when care teams truly listen and respond with compassion, they help families not just survive—but grow stronger. Every parent’s story deserves to be seen and heard.
