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Close your eyes right now and feel the relaxation in the best cuddle you've had. Perhaps it was when you were cuddling someone or when they were cuddling you. Either way, do you remember the feelings it brought up?

Maybe you felt tired, relaxed, safe, secure, protected/protective, grounded, quiet, peaceful, loved/loving, etc.

Today is International Kangaroo Care Day. I get emails, notices, posts and all sorts of reminders that we have a day to celebrate this important type of cuddling. Sometimes the reminders are fun, some are triggering. I have to be mindful for my own health so I don't fall down a rabbit hole that hasn't yet been completely healed. 

The piece I'm always grateful for with these reminders is having the capacity to learn from what has happened and what I can do about it. 

I had a video come through where Julie and John Gottman were on a talkshow sharing their knowledge about hugs. They said that with either a 6 second kiss or a 20 second hug, we secrete oxytocin and i...

When too many things keep coming at you, what do you do? How do you cope? Where do you turn?

All too often as a parent in the NICU, there is a ton of stuff coming at you. Information from and about:

Nurses
Surgeons
Neonatologists
Blood needs to be taken
Vitals are needed constantly
Diapering with cords
Holding in and out of the incubator
Pumping
Feedings
Breathing
... and the list continues, but this isn't including the things that you as the parent needs!

You will deal with these things slightly differently than I did and the next parent over will deal with them in their own way too. The concern comes up when you get overloaded and can't see or hear straight anymore.

It's become too much.

When information, issues, unexpected turns, and your own health issues come at you all at once, what are you supposed to do?

Story: (may be triggering)
When Skye's brain surgery was a few days away I started getting really sick. I couldn't eat and was pumping and depleting myself every day. This turned ba...

As a NICU parent, I have gained the skill of questioning with an open heart. There were many times that we were told something in the NICU, or by doctors after we were home, that just didn't sit right with me. So, I researched, asked more questions and added to the knowledge shared with me.

This might be seen as overanalyzing, but it's gotten Skye a lot farther than what any of the doctors ever imagined. 

Right now my part of Mother Earth is just waking up. Spring is edging ever closer with temperatures above freezing and more of the ground being exposed from the layers of snow. Honestly, I feel like I too am just waking up from a long, intense sleep.

New Years was not celebratory for us this year, it felt heavy. I started wondering what this whole January 1st thing was all about because to me, it seemed like an odd time of year (in terms of Mother Nature's seasons) to celebrate newness.

So... I started asking questions. :) 

A friend of mine told me that there was a connection she...

I was honoured to be a guest blogger back in September on Krysta Figueroa's site Due Dates Are Dumb.

At first I was nervous to put part of our story out there. Writing it was a journey. It brought up a lot of emotions and realizations that I had actually worked through a lot of our stay in the NICU already.

Even though it wasn't that long ago that I wrote the post, I look back and feel so glad that I did it. It has helped me see more of where I need to take care of myself. I know now that I can write parts of my story and the roof isn't going to cave in on me. And I also have a sense of healing from doing that work and taking the time for myself to process as I wrote.

If you'd like to read the post, check it out here on Krysta's site.

If you're interested in being a writer, message me. I'd love to chat with you about your visions.

Always sending Love,
Leanne Rose