Hand to Hold

Barn Chic Boutique has been in partnership with Hand to Hold since fall of 2019; we are honored to support this national non-profit  whose mission is to help families before, during, and after a NICU stay or infant loss. 

As the mom of two small children, I often reflect on how fortunate our family is to have not needed the services of the NICU after the arrival of either of our children. We were able to bring our babies home after their births and had seemingly healthy babies. Yet when our second baby was just 8 days old, we had a scare that sent us in a panic to the emergency room. After a battery of tests were run, our daughter was admitted to the hospital. Thankfully she was discharged after just one night with no long-term complications, but those hours spent at the hospital were the longest and scariest of my life. Even such a short visit with a good outcome resulted in trauma that required time and processing to heal.

So many families begin life with their new little one in the NICU for days, weeks, and months. And from my time working in the birth community as a doula, I am also hyper aware of infant loss. My heart goes out to all the families who have endured health scares, NICU stays, or perinatal loss at any stage. No doubt that many of the little recipients of Barn Chic Boutique goodies started life unexpectedly in the NICU. During this time of uncertainty or loss, families need skilled emotional support and practical resources.

There is an organization that offers exactly that – Hand to Hold. Barn Chic Boutique is honored and humbled to partner with Hand to Hold as the recipient of our ongoing donation campaign. Hand to Hold helps families before, during, and after a NICU stay or infant loss by providing powerful resources for the whole family, and most importantly, one-on-one mentoring from someone who has been there.

Their resources include in-hospital bedside support programs, online support through their blog, social media and private Facebook groups, and their five podcast channels. Parents in need of support can also request to be connected with, and supported by, a trained, volunteer peer mentor whose situation closely matches their own.

The Hand to Hold Family Support Specialists offer in-hospital bedside support and do rounds in the NICU, visiting with families and giving them someone to talk to. The Family Support Specialists also host weekly support groups, special holiday events, and sibling support events. Families in Hand to Hold partner hospitals also get a NICU Milestone Bead necklace, marking the important milestones of a NICU stay, i.e. first hold, first feeding, first diaper change, etc. 

If you or a family you know needs support before, during, or after a NICU stay or a later diagnosis, please click here for support. If you would like to support Hand to Hold, please click here to get involved.

Barn Chic Boutique is donating a percentage of all sales to Hand to Hold (no expense to our customers, and we cover the transaction and credit card fees so that they receive 100% of our donation). We also invite you to 'round up' the purchase price by donating whatever change or amount feels right at the checkout.

We hope your family situation will never warrant the need for the services offered by this incredible organization, but for those families who do need support, we are so glad that Hand to Hold is there.

Thank you for shopping small and with intention at Barn Chic Boutique.