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  • About
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  • The NICU Dad Resource Guide (Old version, updated version coming soon!)
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  • Uncategorized

    When time stands still…

    July 9, 2019 /

    After making the drive from hell where you are begging God to spare your wife and your baby, I came running in asking where my wife has been taken. I run to labor and delivery and open the door to a room and couldn't believe what I was seeing.

    Read More
    Alex Zavala

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    What You Don’t See After the NICU

    May 25, 2025

    Happy Parents of Preemies Day!

    May 7, 2018

    Ronald McDonald House Charities

    October 2, 2018
  • Uncategorized

    Facing my NICU reality

    May 23, 2019 /

    I think from the very first day of going into the NICU I lived in a state of denial. Even after processing and accepting some of the reality of where we were, I was still in denial of what my expectations should have been for everything.

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    Alex Zavala

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    We love our Neonatal Nurses!

    September 15, 2018

    Kangaroo Care, get in there Dads!

    May 22, 2018

    Happy Homecoming Day!

    August 17, 2024
  • Information

    How to Survive the First 72 Hours of NICU…as a NICU Dad

    January 19, 2019 /

    A while back I was asked to host a NICU Dads Group at our local Children’s Hospital’s NICU. I thought it was a great idea and immediately jumped online to start researching some topics or just get some information that I could share with some fellow NICU Dads. I looked and looked, and found nothing. Well, maybe nothing is a slight exaggeration. All I found was an article here and there in sites that were for NICU moms. There was nothing out there for NICU Dads. Then I came across Rad White and The NICU Beard Club. Rad had also written a book for NICU Dads, Enter The NICU. I was…

    Read More
    Alex Zavala

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    That yearly reminder…

    June 10, 2024

    Ronald McDonald House Charities

    October 2, 2018

    Happy Parents of Preemies Day!

    May 7, 2018
  • Information

    Ronald McDonald House Charities

    October 2, 2018 /

     On June 10, 2013 my wife and I both went to work on what seemed like a normal Monday morning. She was 27 weeks pregnant. It was the first day of summer vacation for our oldest daughter, who had just turned 9 the week before. Everything was fine, until my wife called around 9 a.m., hysterical. Her water broke, and an ambulance was on its way to take her to the hospital. I was almost 45 minutes away, but made it to the hospital in about 15 minutes. Our world was turned upside down. We were informed that the baby was breach and we would have to have an…

    Read More
    Alex Zavala

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    When time stands still…

    July 9, 2019

    Going back to work after the NICU

    August 11, 2018

    Happy Parents of Preemies Day!

    May 7, 2018
  • Uncategorized

    We love our Neonatal Nurses!

    September 15, 2018 /

    There is a special bond between neonatal nurses and families with babies in the NICU. If I were to explain this to new NICU dads I would start by telling them about our experience and sharing how NICU nurses become more than just caretakers of your baby. They were one of our main support groups during our NICU stay. There were so many intimate moments that were shared with our NICU nurses, some good and some bad. From the very first day that I walked into the NICU and saw our tiny baby in her iscolet, with all those tubes, I cried. It was one of our NICU nurses who…

    Read More
    Alex Zavala

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    10 things I wish I would have known as a new NICU Dad…

    March 9, 2018

    Happy Parents of Preemies Day!

    May 7, 2018

    What You Don’t See After the NICU

    May 25, 2025
  • Information

    Going back to work after the NICU

    August 11, 2018 /

    I recently came across a post on social media, where a mother shared her plan about returning to work after coming home from the NICU and asked for advice on what other NICU parents did. The thread that followed completely blew my mind! I couldn’t believe how many parents responded and how similar their stories were to ours. Having a baby in the NICU is life changing, and more often, bringing a baby home from the NICU is also life changing. Some parents bring home babies from the NICU who still require a lot of care. They have to make some serious decisions about who is going to care for…

    Read More
    Alex Zavala

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    Kangaroo Care, get in there Dads!

    May 22, 2018

    Happy Homecoming Day!

    August 17, 2024

    We love our Neonatal Nurses!

    September 15, 2018
  • Information

    What about NICU Grandparents?

    July 3, 2018 /

    I never really gave it much thought, and it makes me feel horrible to say, but I never really took into consideration what our parents went through when we were in the NICU.

    Read More
    Alex Zavala

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    My NICU Journey…67 Days in the NICU

    March 22, 2018

    10 things I wish I would have known as a new NICU Dad…

    March 9, 2018

    My Story. How it all began.

    March 3, 2018
  • Stories

    Kangaroo Care, get in there Dads!

    May 22, 2018 /

    As National Kangaroo Care Week has come to an end, I wanted to share my experiences with kangaroo care and some advice for NICU dads. Kangaroo care is incredible! I remember when our nurses explained to us that when our baby was removed from the heated isolette and placed on my wife’s chest, skin to skin contact was going to regulate our baby’s body temperature, and it did! Our baby was hooked up to monitors and was having her temperature checked constantly, and here when she had that skin to skin contact, everything was perfect. All of her levels were stable and her temperature was just right. It was unbelievable.…

    Read More
    Alex Zavala

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    NICU Birthday

    July 22, 2020

    Going back to work after the NICU

    August 11, 2018

    That yearly reminder…

    June 10, 2024
  • Stories

    Happy Parents of Preemies Day!

    May 7, 2018 /

    On this Parents of Preemies Day I took a moment to reflect on what being a parent of a preemie really is to me. What does it mean to be a parent of a preemie? We have two daughters, both of which were preemies. Our oldest was born at 30 weeks and weighed 3 lbs. 6 ounces. Our youngest was born at 27 weeks and weighed 2 lbs. 5 ounces. Having two daughters who were preemies, the biggest thing I have come to understand is that when it comes to preemies, the words fight or fighter will never describe a person or situation better. From day one of that preemie…

    Read More
    Alex Zavala

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    We love our Neonatal Nurses!

    September 15, 2018

    When time stands still…

    July 9, 2019

    Things don’t end in the NICU…

    April 27, 2018
  • Stories

    Things don’t end in the NICU…

    April 27, 2018 /

    My daughter was a ROCKSTAR while in the NICU. She exceeded all expectations and was even released before our original due date. After she came home, it was an onslaught of doctors visits. We were going to our pediatrician for regular newborn check-ups but were also seeing other doctors to help monitor her progress. She was getting evaluated quite often. At first, everything was great. She would pass her evaluations with flying colors! Little did I realize it was because she was still being evaluated for her gestational age and not her adjusted age. Finally, when she was old enough, they were able to tell that she was delayed in…

    Read More
    Alex Zavala

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    Ronald McDonald House Charities

    October 2, 2018

    Kangaroo Care, get in there Dads!

    May 22, 2018

    My NICU Journey…67 Days in the NICU

    March 22, 2018
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