Episode 3: Bailey Thoman. You Have to Have Hope in the NICU.

In episode 3 of the Mighty Littles podcast, I interview Bailey Thoman. She delivered her daughter Chandler in June of 2019 after she was diagnosed with Pre-Eclampsia. Chandler weighed 530g and had an 85 day stay in the NICU.

Their journey begins…

Bailey gets transported from Wyoming down to Denver.

This interview is fantastic because we talk about many of the topics that no one wants to talk about:

• Bailey was open and honest about the anxiety that comes with a pregnancy after a miscarriage.

• The fear of leaving the NICU to “take a break” because if something goes wrong you will never forgive yourself.

• Why enjoying parenting and not focusing on the worst “what ifs” can be so difficult in the NICU.

• Googling in the NICU — Don’t do it!

• Post-NICU anxiety when taking a baby home.

My favorite thing that came out of this interview was Bailey discussing how you have to have hope in the NICU. This Mighty Littles project - the blog, the podcast, the book that is forthcoming - they are all intended to share stories of hope, courage, strength, and love. You never expect to be in the NICU or to face adversity with your child, but if you do, grab onto Bailey’s best quote in the podcast: “In the NICU you can’t live without hope”. I hope that this episode can bring some hope to you and your family if you are living in the NICU right now.