126: How to Prepare for Pregnancy after Preemie

September is NICU Awareness Month. If you aren't familiar with what NICU stands for, it's where sick or pre-term babies go for specialized care until they are well enough to (hopefully) go home. One of the most common questions I get from parents is about facing another pregnancy after going through a NICU experience. Just the thought of a repeat situation is terrifying for a parent. Today's show dives into four important steps to take before trying to conceive again after a NICU experience. Episode Highlights: Talk to your partner Sometimes partners don't feel included in the NICU experience Get your partner's perspective and understand their feelings Make sure your partner isn't stuck in the trauma response Realize that social support is essential for healthy pregnancy outcomes Work with a trauma-trained therapist if you need to Make a preconception appointment with a high-risk specialist Get a second opinion on what happened before and how to prevent it Get your questions answered before you try again Realize that this isn't a one-time appointment, but may need to be repeated Think of this as selecting your team Deactivate your arousal system (turn off your stress response) Understand that none of this is your fault Know that a heightened stress response increases the chance of many pregnancy complications Look out for unresolved grief and trauma Know that mantras, affirmations, and positive thinking will NOT help Figure out when the time is right for you Don't allow a medical professional to push you when you aren't ready What can you make better right now? Realize that there is no right or wrong answer Trust your body; it won't lie to you Resources: How to Get a Reliable /Second Opinion - What Should I Ask My Doctor Free Guide - bit.ly/whattoaskdr Get More Answers 30-Day Health Advocacy Program - bit.ly/getmoreanswers Path to Baby: a 1:1 Mind-Body Program to Prepare Your Body for Pregnancy - Find me on Instagram: @healthy.highriskpregnancy

You can listen to 126: How to Prepare for Pregnancy after Preemie online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

126: How to Prepare for Pregnancy after Preemie is an episode from Delivering Miracles® by Parijat Deshpande.

This episode is 52:33 long.

This episode was published on Sep 5, 2019.

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