Skip to main content

For NICU parents, watching their child graduate from the NICU feels like an enormous relief! It’s such an important milestone and deserves to be celebrated and cherished.

However, sometimes it doesn’t take long before you realize that the journey is far from over. But, if you’re surrounded by the right people, it can also be a very rewarding one filled with hope, strength, and joy. However, sometimes it doesn’t take long before you realize that the journey is far from over.

Today’s guest is Karri Friedenberger, and she is no stranger to the NICU or pregnancy-related trauma. She’s experienced several miscarriages, the birth of three pre-mature NICU babies (including twins), and navigated many years of post-NICU therapy, surgeries, treatments, and preventative medical programs.

Today, her four “babies” are healthy and happy young adults; Karri shares her story with as many parents as she can to remind them that there is hope for everyone. Her work with March of Dimes – March for Babies began in 2005, and she has been advocating for mother and baby care ever since. 

In this episode, we discuss the ups and downs of the NICU journey, the post-NICU experience (including lifelong treatments), and Karri shares tips on finding support and community.

Key Takeaways with Karri Friedenberger

  • How Karri mentally prepared herself for a pregnancy with twins after two miscarriages.
  • The importance of sharing stories & experiences with other NICU parents who can relate to what you’re going through.
  • How to navigate life post-NICU graduation with continued therapies and treatments.
  • How to begin healing from pregnancy and neonatal related trauma.
  • Overcoming feelings of mom guilt & other difficult emotions.
  • Why she is raising awareness for mother/baby care and supporting NICU parents.

Karri Friedenberger Tweetables

  • “We all have a path, even NICU twins do not have the same path; and them finding their best self and their happiest path is going to lead them to their ultimate happiness.” – Karri Friedenberger
  • “The emotions that being in the NICU stirs never go away. They leave scars on our heart which heal over, but they’re always there. And we never know what’s going to bring them to the surface.” – Karri Friedenberger
  • “I can’t change what is, I just have to be here and present with where we’re at.”  – Karri Friedenberger

 Resources

Rate & Review

If you enjoyed today’s episode of The Joy In The Journey, hit the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts, Spotify , Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen, so future episodes are automatically downloaded directly to your device.

You can also help by providing an honest rating & review over on Apple Podcasts. Reviews go a long way in helping us build awareness so that we can impact even more people. THANK YOU!