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Jodi | NICU & Preemie Parent Expert | Coach | Speaker

@flrrish

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Helping NICU & preemie parents navigate life after NICU ✨Child development • Parent Coach • IEP advocacy • Overwhelm→ STEADY📝Mother.ly
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NICU trauma is real.

Even if everything “turned out okay.”

Even AFTER you’re home from the hospital.

You’re not broken if this experience still lingers. Follow @flrrish for community, support, and a place to feel seen, heard, and understood. 💛

#traumaticbirth #nicuparent #nicubaby #nicustay #parentsuport by @flrrish

MY STORY 💛
I never imagined becoming a NICU mom.

Like most parents, I pictured bringing my baby home, introducing her to family, and settling into motherhood.

Instead, my daughter Jenna was born at 28 weeks and 4 days.

Overnight, I became a medical parent.
I learned a new language filled with acronyms, monitors, and milestones I never expected to navigate.

I spent 77 days walking through the NICU doors, hoping, praying, and wondering what our future would look like.

When Jenna finally came home, everyone celebrated.

But what nobody prepared me for was everything that came next.
The fear.
The uncertainty.
The endless second-guessing.
The feeling that somehow I should know exactly what to do, even though nothing about our journey looked like what I expected.

I spent years learning how to navigate therapies, specialists, developmental milestones, school systems, and advocacy. More importantly, I learned how to trust myself again.

What I discovered is something I wish every NICU parent knew:

The NICU journey doesn’t end at discharge.

For many of us, that’s when a completely different journey begins.

That’s why I created FLRRiSH.
Not because I have all the answers.
But because I know what it feels like to be scared, overwhelmed, confused, isolated, and unsure of what comes next. And I know how powerful it is when someone walks beside you and says:
💛 You’re not alone.
💛 You’re doing better than you think.
💛 Your story is not over.

Today, FLRRiSH exists to help NICU and preemie parents feel more supported, more informed, and more confident as they navigate life from hospital to home and beyond.

💛 Because prematurity may be part of your family’s story.
💛 But it does not define it.
💛 If you’re a NICU or preemie parent, welcome.
💛 You’re in the right place.
And I’m so glad you’re here. 💛

#NICUAwareness #NICUSupport #LifeAfterNICU #FLRRiSH #STEADYMethod by @flrrish

Home doesn’t automatically mean you feel okay.

If you’re in this phase and need guidance, clarity, or someone who gets it, send me a message. I’m here to help you find your footing. 🤍 by @flrrish

Please remember that returning to a feeling is NOT the same as returning to the beginning! You haven’t lost all the progress you’ve made. There is no set timetable for healing. 🤍

Follow @flrrish for more NICU parent content.

#nicumom #nicudad #nicujourney #traumaticbirth #medicalparent by @flrrish

No baby comes with a manual. And even if it did, I probably wouldn’t read it anyway. 😂

This is an excerpt from my upcoming session at the @theperinatalcollective Mental Health Conference. ✨

NICU discharge is viewed as the finish line, when in reality, it’s only the beginning of a complex (and often overwhelming) journey.

Parents are expected to take over their baby’s care, navigate follow-up appointments, and trust their own judgment—WITHOUT the medical team they’ve come to rely on, all while processing everything they’ve been through.

My goal is to provide a framework that helps parents move from simply “surviving” to feeling steady, empowered, and supported in their parenting journey.

I hope you’ll join us next week on November 4–6! The link to register for the conference is in my bio. 🔗

#nicudischarge #nicujourney #lifeafternicu #nicuparentsupport #nicumom by @flrrish

As a NICU mom, you spend so much time trying to do what’s best for your child. Asking doctors questions, tracking down the right specialists, advocating for your child’s needs, and doing every little thing you can to help them.

And yet, despite all of that, you can still feel utterly helpless.

Because no matter how hard you fight for them, some things are simply beyond your control.

You may not be able to change what your child is going through, but that doesn’t make your role any less important.

You matter. Your presence and your voice matter.

And even on the days you feel powerless, you’re still making a difference in your child’s life.

What’s something you wish more people understood about being a NICU/medical mom? 👇🏻

#nicumom #medicalmom #preemiebaby #nicujourney #nicunurses by @flrrish

Just because everything “turned out okay” doesn’t mean I’m not still affected by this experience.

-I still had to ask permission to hold my own baby.

-My baby was taken away from me before I had time to understand what was happening.

-The most important moments of my life felt completely out of my control.

If you’re a NICU mom and you still feel this way, you’re not alone. Follow @flrrish for relatable NICU and preemie parent content, and a safe place to process those lingering feelings. 💙

#nicumom #preemiemom #nicujourney #fourthtrimester #birthtrauma by @flrrish

“But they’re home now. Isn’t everything okay?”

Bringing your baby home is a HUGE milestone. But for preemie parents, there’s often still so much to manage that other people don’t see.

👉 A calendar full of follow-up appointments

👉 Questions you jot down so you won’t forget to ask at the next visit

👉 Explaining your child’s history to yet another new provider

👉 Figuring out what support your child needs and who to ask for it

…just to name a few.

What comes next looks different for every family. Your child can be making wonderful progress and still need extra support along the way.

But the good news is you don’t have to figure out the next five years today. Start with the questions you have now, ask your child’s care team to help clarify next steps, and make room for your own support, too. 💜

What do you wish more people understood about life after the NICU?

#nicumom #lifeafternicu #nicugraduate #prematurityawareness #preemiesupport by @flrrish

It’s a reminder of the trauma you went through two, three, or four years ago.

It can feel very confusing, and we don’t talk about it enough. You’re celebrating your child, yet the memories of their birth and the NICU come rushing back. The fear, uncertainty, and grief you felt in those first days can make it hard to enjoy the celebration happening in front of you.

Family and friends may not understand why you don’t feel excited about your child’s birthday, which can leave you feeling even more isolated.

If this is how you feel, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to force yourself into a celebratory mood. You can be grateful for your child and still grieve what you both went through.

I often encourage parents to consider celebrating on their child’s NICU graduation date instead, if that feels better for their family.

Does this time of year feel complicated for you? 💙

#nicuparents #nicumom #nicubaby #nicubirthday #nicuanniversary by @flrrish

Holding space this #pregnancyandinfantlossawarenessmonth for families grieving a baby and the life they imagined together. 🤍

Your grief matters, no matter how much time has passed.

If you feel comfortable sharing, what’s something someone did that helped you feel supported? ⬇️

#pregnancyloss #infantloss #nicuparents #nicuparentsupport by @flrrish

I know how hard it is to keep waiting, wondering when it will finally be your turn.

After 77 days in the NICU with Jenna, bringing her home meant we could finally be together in the way I’d imagined during pregnancy. Holding her on our couch. Waking up with her beside us. Getting to know her at home. I still worried, but those everyday moments meant so much after waiting so long to have them.

If you’re still waiting to bring your baby home from the NICU, I’m holding space for you. 🤍

What’s one thing you’re looking forward to doing at home with your baby? 👇

#preemiemom #nicumom #nicujourney #nicudischarge #nicustay by @flrrish

Comment STEADY and I’ll send you the link to register! 🔗

(Or check my story for a discount code - available for the first 5 moms who reply with a DM! 🤫)

#flrrish #nicumom #nicudischarge #preemiemom #nicuparents by @flrrish