Ep. 382: 8 Things Your NICU Nurse Wants You to Know with Brooke Smith

Ep. 382: 8 Things Your NICU Nurse Wants You to Know with Brooke Smith

In this episode of The Birth Lounge podcast, HeHe welcomes Brooke Smith, a seasoned NICU nurse, IBCLC, doula, and childbirth educator, to shine a light on what life in the NICU really looks like for families. Together, they unpack practical tips for navigating the beeping machines and medical jargon while still staying connected to your baby in meaningful ways. Brooke shares strategies for coping during this overwhelming season, advocating for your baby, and building confidence in your parental instincts.

This conversation also explores the importance of effective communication with NICU staff, why self-care is non-negotiable for parents, and how practices like primary nursing can support your family’s journey. HeHe and Brooke also talk through emotional resilience and what to expect as you transition home after the NICU.

This episode is a must-listen for parents preparing for, currently in, or healing after a NICU stay. You’ll walk away with reassurance, tools, and encouragement to help you feel informed and empowered—no matter what the NICU brings.

00:00 Trust Your Instincts and Seek Support

01:03 Welcome to The Birth Lounge Podcast

01:08 Introducing The Birth Lounge App

01:29 Features of The Birth Lounge App

04:51 NICU Awareness Month

05:46 Interview with NICU Nurse Brooke Smith

07:30 Understanding the NICU Experience

12:16 Tips for NICU Parents

22:25 Bonding with Your NICU Baby

31:18 Communicating with Your NICU Team

37:28 Navigating Medical Decisions in the NICU

39:37 Navigating High-Risk Pregnancy Decisions

40:19 The Importance of Early Conversations

42:50 Advocating for Your Baby in the NICU

46:05 The Role of Primary Nursing in NICU

52:47 Emotional Support for NICU Parents

01:00:20 Transitioning Home from the NICU

01:07:07 Supporting NICU Families as Friends and Family

01:08:55 Final Thoughts and Resources

Guest Bio:

Brooke has been a NICU nurse for 8 years. After her first Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Brooke decided to pursue nursing and obtained her second Bachelor’s degree in nursing. She started her career at a Level 4 NICU in her home state of Florida, where she worked for 3.5 years and learned a lot as a new nurse. She then began to travel nurse in 2021, and has since worked in 9 different NICUs in 5 states across the U.S. She also has been a doula and childbirth educator since 2022, and IBCLC since 2023. She met her husband in Maryland while travel nursing in 2021, and now resides in Maryland with her husband Chris, two dogs Ruby and Penny, and their first baby on the way due in October.

INSTAGRAM:

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BIRTH EDUCATION:

Join The Birth Lounge here for judgment-free childbirth education that prepares you for an informed birth and how to confidently navigate hospital policy to have a trauma-free labor experience!

Download The Birth Lounge App for birth & postpartum prep delivered straight to your phone!

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64: Friday Free Talk: My Harvard Interview

64: Friday Free Talk: My Harvard Interview

Today's episode is somewhat of a bonus episode to give a real #bts (behind the scenes) glance of TBH. HeHe was asked by a student at Harvard for an interview to help with research for her Senior Thesis. This is an edited version of the interview for the sake of time. Join us to hear our conversation about birth work, the impact of doulas, and a sneak peak into hospital care! Happy friday, yal!

5 Okt 201852min

63: Free birthing with Kelley Tejada

63: Free birthing with Kelley Tejada

In this episode, HeHe is chatting all about freebirthing! Kelley is sharing her story of courage and having her baby at her, trusting only her body, baby, and insticts. She has had a few different birth stories and through these she learned frist hand of the importance of knowing your rights, what manipulations looks like, and processing the trauma of her childbirth experiences. She mastered her mindset and finally took full control of her birth. She is also sharing her resources of information that helped make her decision to Freebirth her son. Happy Tuesday!    Instagram: @plantbased_k

2 Okt 20181h 8min

62: Friday Free Talk: How Important is Your Baby's Name?

62: Friday Free Talk: How Important is Your Baby's Name?

Happy Friday! In today's episode, HeHe is diving into picking baby names! There are very interesting thigns connected with your name and this episode is sharing a few like how your name impacts your philanthropic tendencies. Inspired by a series of poorly spelled emails and a hilarious meme, HeHe brings you a very unscripted episode to get your gears turning!    https://bigthink.com/in-their-own-words/whats-in-a-name-everything https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whats-in-a-name-plenty/

28 Sep 201815min

61: Let Me Introduce You to Your Vagina

61: Let Me Introduce You to Your Vagina

Today's episode is getting scandelous! We all talking all things clitoris, vaginal canals, orgasms, natural lubes, and menstration. Welcome to Vagina 101. It's truly shocking how many adult women do not know their vaginas even though it's been our A1 since Day One! April Davis is known on Instagram as The Vagina Blog and she is here to share all the yummy goodness about the lady downstairs. We are talking vaginal care, postpartum care, the Ph of your vagina, and healing your perineum!   The Vagina Blog:thevaginablog.com Good Clean Love: https://goodcleanlove.com CoCoNu:https://www.coconu.com Icon Underwear: https://www.iconundies.com Thinx Underwear: https://www.shethinx.com Earth Mama Angle Baby: https://earthmamaorganics.com/products/herbal-perineal-spray.html Elvie Kegel: https://www.bevibrant.com/products/elvie-kegel-exerciser We Vibe: https://we-vibe.com/sync

25 Sep 201855min

60: Friday Free Talk: Respecting the Golden Hour

60: Friday Free Talk: Respecting the Golden Hour

Happy Friday, Yal! In this episode of Friday Free Talk, I'm talking about the benefits of being intentional with the first 60 minutes after your baby is born. In this precious time, you have alot of choices to make and it can sometimes seem like a blur. From delayig visitors to what you can expect in a hosptial setting and waht other countries do concerning postpartum care, I'm telling you all you need to know about the golden hour!    https://www.birchbaby.com/blog/respecting-the-golden-hour/

21 Sep 201819min

59: Lotus Births, Herbal Remedies, and Crystal Healing! Oh My!

59: Lotus Births, Herbal Remedies, and Crystal Healing! Oh My!

Today, HeHe is chatting with a mom of one, Jasper, who has strong feelings toward the medical field and planned an unassisted homebirth. Things didn't quite turn on out as planned and she's sharing her story. Taylor Tolten is also sharing her experience with having a "lotus birth" and how special placenta traditions are for some families. If you thought HeHe was a hippie, get ready for your world to be rocked! From energetic healing to reiki to herbal remedies, HeHe and Taylor are going full blown earthchild on ya! Happy Tuesday, yal!  https://www.risingmoonapothecary.com/shop *Be sure to do thorough reserach on all herbs and herbal supplements. Please consult a healthcare provider before using herbs or herbal suppluements.

18 Sep 201853min

58: Friday Free Talk: I'm a Barbie Girl in a Barbie World

58: Friday Free Talk: I'm a Barbie Girl in a Barbie World

Today, I am talking all about your imperfections as a parent and partner. Plus, I’m even sharing what I’m not that great at either... We will take these imperfections and shift them into strengths and finding gratitude. Motherhood is filled with wolves waiting to pounce on the next weakest link. There’s always a mom out there doing it better than you or looking more fabulous. That’s tough to come to grips with so I’m sharing my thoughts on the vultures in society that prey on other people’s imperfections and beat down our self-love muscle. Living in a constantly aroused state of Fight or Flight is not healthy. Join me in this conversation on refreshing your mindset and taking the reigns of your own life. Happy Friday, yal!

14 Sep 201820min

57: Copper Toxicity- The Copper IUD 

57: Copper Toxicity- The Copper IUD 

Is your IUD poisoning you? Could your copper IUD being causing your body to be overloaded and needing a serious detox? Kirby Costa Campos is joining HeHe to chat about her experience with copper toxicity, the downward spiral it caused in her life, her journey of healing, and her mission to get the copper IUD taken off the market. Dive into the symptoms and detox process of Copper Toxicity and what a copper friendly diet looks like. Happy Tuesday, yal!    90 day program:  http://kirbyamour.com/copperdetoxprotocol   Wilson's Disease: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wilsons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20353251   Oxidation: https://www.drlwilson.com/articles/Oxidation%20Types%201104.htm   Instagram Handle: @kirbyamour   Copper Toxicity Friendly Diet Example:  Foods to Completely Avoid Lamb, pork, pheasant quail, duck, goose, squid, salmon, organ meats including liver, heart, kidney, brain; shellfish including oysters, scallops, shrimp, lobster, clams, and crab, meat gelatin, soy protein meat substitutes, tofu, nuts and seeds, vegetable juice cocktail, mushrooms, nectarine, commercially dried fruits including raisins, dates, prunes; avocado, dried beans including soy beans, lima beans, baked beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, dried peas, lentils, millet, barley, wheat germ, bran breads and cereals, cereals with >0.2 mg of copper per serving (check label), soy flour, soy grits, fresh sweet potatoes, chocolate milk, soy milk, cocoa, desserts that contain high amounts of ingredients rich in copper, candy with nuts, chocolate, or cocoa, instant breakfast beverages, mineral water with high copper content, soy-based beverages, copper-fortified formulas, brewer’s yeast, multiple vitamins with copper or minerals, jams, jellies, and candies, fruit juices, fruit- flavored beverages, lemonade Foods to Eat, But Limit to Once A Week Fish, dark meat turkey and chicken, peanut butter, bean sprouts, beets, spinach, tomato juice and other tomato products, broccoli, asparagus, mango, papaya, pear, pineapple, dehydrated and canned soups, potatoes in any form, pumpkin, parsnips, winter and summer squash, green peas, carbonated beverages, ketchup, coffee, tea If you choose to eat GRAINS limit these chooses to once a week also: whole wheat bread, Melba toast, whole wheat crackers, instant oatmeal, instant RalstonTM, cereals with 0.1 to 0.2 mg of copper per serving (check label) Eat As Much As You Want (less than .1 mg of copper) beef, eggs, white meat turkey and chicken, cold cuts and frankfurters (that do not contain pork, dark turkey, dark chicken, or organ meats), all others not listed on high or moderate list, most vegetables including fresh tomatoes, most fruits except as listed to above (fruits dried at home are permitted), butter, cream, margarine, mayonnaise, non- dairy creamer, sour cream, oils, salad dressings (made from allowed ingredients), most milk products, milk flavored with carob, cheeses, cottage cheese, soups made with allowed ingredients If Eating Grains: Breads & pasta from refined flour, rice, regular oatmeal, cereals with

11 Sep 20181h 27min

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