Dear NICU Mama: Therapeutic writing, finding meaning after trauma and NICU’s impact on maternal mental health | S3E54
Dear NICU Mama is a non-profit that brings hope and connection to NICU mothers through a community where mothers and families feel seen, understood, and supported. We’re so excited to bring co-founder Ashley Ham and podcast co-host Aisha Yaccino onto the podcast to discuss the impact of their NICU stays on their mental health, their work with Dear NICU Mama and finding meaning again after the trauma of it all.
Part of the work that Dear NICU Mama does is asking NICU mums to write letters of hope to other NICU mums using a different prompt each month. So many of the mums find these letters to be hugely therapeutic in helping them to process what they’ve been through, so we also discuss common themes that come up in these letters.
In this episode, we’re chatting about:
- Ashley’s journey to starting Dear NICU Mama and what brought Aisha into her world
- What it was like being in NICU during the lockdowns
- How Dear NICU Mama prompts NICU mums to write letters about their experiences (and why most people find it therapeutic)
- The common struggles that come up in these letters
- Going back to the “real world” after a NICU stay or losing a child and what you can do to look for meaning in your life
Take what you need!
[02:09] Why Ashley started “Dear NICU Mama”
[06:15] How Aisha got involved with the non-profit
[11:14] Navigating NICU during a COVID lockdown
[15:42] The impact of NICU on mental health
[27:56] Therapeutic writing
[32:22] The most common struggles after NICU
[37:48] Remembering a child that has passed away
[41:02] Finding meaning and returning to “real life” after trauma
[46:51] Advice for parents in the thick of it
[50:43] Connect with Dear NICU Mama
A huge thank you to Emma at Cover My Bubble for supporting our podcast - you can find out more about all that Cover My Bubble offer at www.covermybubble.co.uk
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