General Resources
Member Only Facebook Group: Moms of Preemies – Fairfield & New Haven Counties, CT
https://www.facebook.com/groups/momsofpreemiesffcnhc/
This Facebook Group is for Mothers of premature babies who live in Fairfield and New Haven Counties in CT. This is a private member group, administered by several trained peer mentors of The Tiny Miracles Foundation. You will be asked questions to JOIN this group, and then check your Facebook Messenger inbox for a private message.
The mothers in the group warmly give support and share joys and struggles with one another. It is a great group for meeting the Moms of preemies in your local community, making connections and sharing resources. This Facebook group was created to be a safe space for non-judgmental and thoughtful discussion.
NICU Parent Network
https://nicuparentnetwork.org/
NICU Parent Network is a collaborative of NICU Support Organizations led by NICU Parent Professionals. We are the only professional association for NICU Parent Leaders in the United States. NPN provides a platform for these leaders to come together as a collective voice representing the needs & best interests of NICU families in all facets of healthcare policy, care guidelines, advocacy, education, and family support.
Child First
www.childfirst.com/for-families
phone: (203) 538-5222
From their website:
Child First is a national, evidence-based, two-generation model that works with very vulnerable young children and families, providing intensive, home-based services.
When young children grow up in environments where there is violence, neglect, mental illness, or substance abuse, the stress can be toxic to their developing brains. But, we can intervene to prevent this damage.
Inspire
https://www.inspire.com/groups/preemie/
From their website:
A Place that’s Safe for Sharing
We’ve carefully designed an environment where it’s okay to open up about personal experiences and share sensitive health information. Here, conversations naturally reveal powerful insights across hundreds of health conditions.
Caring Bridge
CaringBridge is a free, private, donor-supported health social network where you can stay connected with family and friends and receive support. CaringBridge offers:
- CaringBridge Sites: a private, personal website where you can keep family and friends informed during a health event, and they can leave supportive messages.
- SupportPlanner: a calendar to help family and friends coordinate helpful tasks such as meals, transportation, pet care, etc.
The United Way of Connecticut’s 2-1-1
homepage: www.211infoline.org
child care search: search.211childcare.org
Phone: Dial 2-1-1 or 1-800-203-1234
2-1-1 is a free community service to help you locate useful local resources, information, support groups and help in a crisis. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Use the child care search link above to search a database of child care centers, summer camps and preschools by city or zip code.
U.S. Government: Social Security
In some cases children born prematurely can receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. This booklet discusses the Social Security and SSI benefits a child with a disability might be eligible for and explains how they evaluate disability claims for children.
Mothers of Multiples of Lower Fairfield County
https://www.facebook.com/MOMSLFC/
Since many premature babies are multiples, a local twins/triplets club can offer specialized support for families with more than one baby. Founded in 1958, MOMs of Lower Fairfield County is one of the largest multiples clubs in the country, offering a wide range of programs for moms from pregnancy through the school years.
KidsHealth.com: A Primer on Preemies
kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growing/preemies.html
KidsHealth offers a “primer on preemies,” including what to expect in the NICU and common complications of prematurity.
HealthyChildren.org by the American Academy of Pediatrics
Backed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), HealthyChildren.org has general information about child health and parenting issues, as well as information about the AAP’s programs, activities, guidelines, resources, and more. Here are some articles that will be of special interest to parents of premature babies:
Connecticut Birth to Three
www.birth23.org
phone: 1-800-505-7000
The mission of the Birth to Three System is to strengthen the capacity of families to meet the developmental and health-related needs of their infants and toddlers who have delays or disabilities. They assess your child and then work out an IFSP (an Individualized Family Service Plan) to provide whatever services your child needs: physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, et cetera.
Support 4 NICU Parents
http://support4nicuparents.org/
If your baby is in the NICU, you are likely to experience a range of emotions. While parents are excited to welcome their babies to the world, we often struggle with complicated and contradictory emotions surrounding their births. Use this website to understand and explore your feelings as you adjust to your new role as a NICU parent.
Patient and Family Care
http://www.patientfamilycare.com/for-families/
Patient+Family Care understands that there will be a wide variety of emotions, struggles and challenges for parents, and that everyone’s experience will be unique to them. We want to help provide comfort and support to as many families as possible by directly offering education and resources from Patient+Family Care and also provide a list of other amazing resources that are available to families.
Community Action Agency of Western CT
Tel: (203) 744-4700
Services:
Employment and Training, Preschool, Adult Education, Energy and Heating Assistance, Financial Education, Food Pantry, Information and Referral, Case Management and Counseling.
Towns Served:
Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Canaan, Cornwall, Danbury, Darien, Greenwich, Kent, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, New Canaan, North Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Sherman, Stamford, Warren, Washington, Weston, Wilton
Action Plan for Very Low Birth Weight Preemies
https://preemieworld.com/wp-content/uploads/PreemieWorldSpecialEdition2019.pdf
Helping Your Baby Thrive: Through optimal nutrition in the NICU
When a premature baby is born, weight and gestational age are key to helping NICU staff determine what is needed to help
your baby thrive. Babies born under 1,250 grams (roughly two and a half pounds) have very specific nutritional needs.
Appropriate growth is a key factor to helping your preemie survive, thrive and ultimately be discharged home from the NICU.
Newborn Individualized Developmental Care & Assessment Program (NIDCAP)
Mentoring Caregivers, Changing Hospitals, Improving the future for infants and their families
NIDCAP, originated in 1984 by Heidelise Als, PhD, is the only comprehensive, family centered, evidence-based approach to developmental care for newborn and infant intensive care nurseries.
