015: A Survival Guide for NICU Mamas with Dr. Heather Evans

When a mom has a newborn child in the NICU, every moment and every breath can be stressful. But when you have two preemies in the NICU, those worries are doubled. Today's guest knows exactly what it's like to have two kids in the hospital for several months and has published a survival guide to share her professional advice and what she learned from her own experience.

Dr. Heather Evans is a proud mama to her miracle twins, Gavin and Hannah, who have grown from 1.5 lb babies to happy 8-year-old kiddos. Professionally, she's a pelvic health physical therapist specializing in pregnant and post-partum patients.

She's also the author of Learning to Breathe and The NICU Mama Survival Guide: Post-Partum Healing From Your Baby's Bedside, which are fantastic resources for any mama who has spent time in the NICU.

In this episode, you'll hear why she went into premature labor at just 22 weeks and then delivered twins two weeks later. She shares her experiences of the next 4 months in the NICU, watching every breath that she could along the way as they battled with respiratory issues and other infections. She also talks about her own physical recovery from delivering twins via C-section.

I'm so thankful to have Heather on the show to share her wisdom and expertise about pelvic health and the important reminder that as moms, we can only take care of our children if we take care of ourselves and our own recovery first.

Key Takeaways with Heather Evans

• How her journey began with IVF treatments and continued until she was forced to prepare for premature labor at 22 weeks.
• That many hospitals rarely performed premature deliveries at 22 weeks, even as recently as 8 years ago.
• The medical treatments that delayed her pregnancy by 10 days, and how critically important that extra time was.
• The gratitude for the nurse who congratulated her after the delivery in such a stressful moment.
• All the challenges that her babies overcame during their 4 months in the NICU.
• What inspired Heather to write her books.
• Just how difficult the recovery process can be after a C-section, and why Heather is so passionate about pelvic health.
• The resources that are available for someone who is searching for pelvic therapy.
• That NICU mamas need to take care of their own recovery, and not just put all their focus on their babies.
• Always appreciate all the moments that bring you joy at the time.

Show Notes:

Get Full Access to the Show Notes by visiting: MatteasJoy.org/15

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