Q&A: How can I stay connected to my older kids while my baby is in the NICU?

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...

- How to stay connected to your older children while caring for a baby in the NICU.

- Why consistency, rituals, and transitional objects can help kids feel secure when routines are disrupted.

- Creative ways to maintain a sense of closeness, even when you can’t physically be present.

- How to involve siblings in bonding with the new baby from afar.

- Why it’s okay to give yourself grace and lean on support systems during this stressful time.

If you’ve ever worried about balancing the needs of multiple children during a family crisis, this episode offers compassionate guidance and practical strategies to help your older kids feel loved, supported, and secure—even when life pulls you in different directions.

REFERENCES AND RELATED RESOURCES:

🎧NICU Survival Guide with the founders of NICU Nook, Dr. Stephanie Simon and Amanda Neilan

📚 Growing Families: Helping Children Cope with a New Sibling

CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL PODCAST EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:

🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about how "mom brain" can be our greatest strength, not our biggest weakness with Dr. Nicole Pensak

🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about processing birth trauma with Dr. Sterling

🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about maternal health and Internal Family Systems with Rebecca Geshuri and Paige Bellenbaum

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:

Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions!