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We all know that the path to parenthood can look very different than we dreamily imagine. Sometimes it\u2019s a tough and traumatic experience that leaves us stunned. It\u2019s when our personal struggles motivate us to bring about change that we use our experiences to help others. That\u2019s exactly what today\u2019s guest has done.\xa0\n\xa0\nFawn McCool, LCSW, is based in Portland, Oregon with Aiyana Counseling. She holds certification in Interpersonal Neurobiology through Portland State University and MamaCare certificate through Shoshana Center. She is the creator of Interpersonal Neurobiology of Perinatal Mood Disorders and Birth Trauma, an online training for professionals that explores the impact and practices of attachment and bonding, including development and interventions for families affected by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and birth trauma.\nShe offers clinical therapeutic services through Aiyana Counseling and also sits on the board of NICU Familes Northwest, as well as volunteers with Baby Blues Connection. She is the mother of two girls, the oldest of which was born prematurely at 29 weeks. After 8 weeks in a southern California NICU, Fawn vowed that she would work tirelessly to change the mental health outcomes for NICU parents nationwide through advocacy and education. In today\u2019s episode, Fawn discusses her experiences as a parent in the NICU and the work she\u2019s doing to support families in their NICU experiences.\nWe are discussing the common stressors in having a child in the NICU and what it\u2019s like to spend time there and then take that baby home. Fawn also shares about the strength and resilience she sees from parents with their NICU experiences and how we can better support children and parents through their time in NICU.\n\xa0\nShow Highlights:\n\xa0\n\nFawn\u2019s gratefulness to the maternal mental health community for the support she\u2019s received\n\nWith her first child, Fawn knew something was wrong at 28 weeks, but she was sent home for bed rest\n\nHow she had to be pushy and insistent to save her baby\u2019s life\n\nHow she never felt safe, secure, or cared for through her emergency birth and NICU experience\n\nHer baby was diagnosed with reverse blood flow and was not getting the nutrients needed to survive, so an emergency C-section was scheduled, with Fawn being told her daughter had a 50% chance of survival\n\nWhy the mother\u2019s mental health should be at the forefront\n\nThe financial stress and the loss of parental autonomy in the NICU experience\n\nHow NICU parents find strength and resilience--\u201dThe size of the body does not reflect the size of the spirit.\u201d\n\nNICU parents learn to celebrate their child\u2019s uniqueness and learn that they can\u2019t control outcomes\n\nThe support Fawn would like to see: advocacy for more peer support, counselors, zero separation, psychological education about the effects of trauma, massage, connection to mental health support, and to prioritize maternal mental health\n\nFawn\u2019s message: \u201cThere is strength in numbers and you are not alone. Believe in your child.\u201d\n\n\xa0\nResources:\n\xa0\nwww.fawnmccool.com\xa0Find out about Fawn\u2019s work and her online class