Your thoughts here...
isolation
Continued from page 29    By: Kerry Bone and Mara Tesler Stein, Psy.D.
  • Recognize that isolation is a relatively short time in your life. It will end soon enough
  • Notice some of the potential benefits of isolation.
  • You can form a stronger, closer bond with your child.
  • You can make up for the lost time when your child was in the hospital.
  • You can spend endless hours enjoying your miracle child. You will learn all their quirks, and preferences.
  • You can develop your parenting style without exposure to countless, critical others.
  • You can build confidence in your parenting skills.
  • You can even celebrate with a small "coming-out" party once isolation is lifted!
Mara Tesler Stein is a Chicago-based clinical psychologist in private practice specializing in perinatal & neonatal crisis and adjustment, parent education and child development. She is currently co-writing a book, The Emotional Journey of Parenting Your Premature Baby: A Book of Hope and Healing. Mara lives in Chicago with her husband and twin daughters (born at 30 weeks gestation).

Kerry Bone has resigned from teaching elementary school to stay at home full time as a mother to Tyler (31 weeks gestation). She is currently working with Tyler's hospital in Dallas to form a premature parent support group and is presently organizing fundraising to build a resource library to be located in the nicu.

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