Do You Kangaroo?

Kangaroo Care is not a new concept. It has been around for centuries and is commonly practiced in other cultures all the time, as a practical way of life. However, the term was coined in 1979 when doctors in Columbia, in response to a shortage of incubators and a hospital wide infection, started using kangaroo care because they simply couldn’t do anything else. The results were astonishing and Kangaroo Care started being used commonly to treat premature infants and respiratory distress. Kangaroo Care, as the term is used today, has a variety of definitions but generally consists of at least … Continue reading →

Breastfeeding and the NICU

The NICU (Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit), is a scary place. There are the tiniest of babies, machines and wires everywhere, and dark lights. The atmosphere is quiet, while nurses and doctors go about the very important business of monitoring little lives. The NICU is also scary because if you have seen it, it means your baby is inside, likely hooked up to something, perhaps clinging to life. For the most part, babies are in the NICU because they were born prematurely. While there are other reasons babies may land themselves an incubator in the NICU, being premature is the most … Continue reading →