Beyond Beeps & Hums

Anande Ferreira
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  • Parenting
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Beyond Beeps & Hums is a podcast created to support and empower families on their NICU journey — and in the life that follows. Hosted by Anandé Ferreira, a two-time preemie NICU mama and pediatric occupational therapist from @playmoreot. Each episode explores the complexities of life in and beyond NICU doors. You’ll hear conversations that validate, inform, and connect — helping parents and professionals find understanding, hope, and healing. Launching 2026. No NICU journey should be faced alone.

  1. When Play Feels Hard

    Jun 23

    When Play Feels Hard

    “I thought I’d be more playful.” “I thought I’d enjoy this more.” “I thought I’d be more patient.” These are some of the most common reflections I hear from parents. In this short reflective episode, I explore an often-overlooked piece of the parenting conversation: Play requires capacity. While social media often focuses on play ideas, activities and developmental support, many parents are carrying mental overload, sleep deprivation, sensory overwhelm, emotional labour, stress and trauma. When the nervous system is operating in survival mode, creativity, flexibility, patience and play can become harder to access. In this episode we explore: • Why play is more than a parenting strategy • The relationship between nervous system regulation and playfulness • How stress, overwhelm and sensory overload affect parenting capacity • Why many parents feel they are not parenting in the way they imagined • The hidden impact of trauma and survival mode on connection • Why supporting the nervous system often comes before supporting play Whether you’re a NICU parent, a new parent, or simply feeling overwhelmed by the demands of modern parenting, this episode offers a compassionate reminder: Struggling to access play does not mean you’re failing. It may simply mean your nervous system needs support too. @beyondbeepsandhums

    9 min
  2. Why Are We Coping So Differently? Understanding NICU Trauma Responses - with Dr Frankie Harrison

    Jun 9

    Why Are We Coping So Differently? Understanding NICU Trauma Responses - with Dr Frankie Harrison

    One parent wants to talk. One shuts down. One becomes hypervigilant. One throws themselves into work. One feels the need to control everything. One seems emotionally distant. In this episode, I’m joined by clinical psychologist, NICU parent, and founder of Miracle Moon, Dr Frankie Harrison, to explore the nervous system responses that emerge during and after a NICU admission. Together we unpack the fight, flight, freeze and fawn responses and discuss what these survival patterns can look like for parents navigating NICU and life beyond its doors. We discuss: • Why trauma responses are automatic, unconscious survival responses • What fight, flight, freeze and fawn can look like in the NICU environment and at home • Why parents often experience conflict when their nervous systems respond differently • Why many parents blame themselves for how they coped • How trauma therapy can help parents move from surviving to more joyful living • Parenting in the way you want to parent, rather than parenting from fear and survival   Whether you’re currently in NICU, recently discharged, or years beyond your NICU journey, this episode offers a compassionate reminder: The ways you coped were not a reflection of how much you loved your baby. They were your nervous system’s attempt to keep you safe. Resources This episode features Dr Frankie Harrison, Clinical Psychologist, NICU Parent and Founder of  Miracle Moon You can learn more about Dr Frankie and her support services, resources, courses and community through Miracle Moon below: Miracle MoonFollow Dr Frankie @miraclemoonuk The NICU Space Podcast

    31 min
  3. Trauma, Sensory Overload and Parenting After NICU

    May 26

    Trauma, Sensory Overload and Parenting After NICU

    Leaving NICU doesn’t mean your nervous system automatically feels safe again. In this episode of Beyond Beeps & Hums, we shift the focus onto parents — exploring how trauma, chronic stress, sleep deprivation, sensory overload, and survival mode can continue long after discharge. We talk about: What sensory overload actually isWhy parents often feel more reactive, snappy, emotional, or overwhelmed after NICUHow trauma impacts capacity and nervous system regulationWhy seemingly “small” things can suddenly feel impossiblePractical sensory strategies to support regulation in daily lifeThis episode also explores the different sensory systems including sound, touch, movement, proprioception, taste, smell, vision, and interoception and how understanding your own sensory needs can help support your regulation. Because regulation is not about perfection, it’s about understanding what your nervous system has been carrying. Please note: This episode is intended for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical or mental health support. If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with another NICU parent who may need it.

    53 min
  4. Life After NICU: How to Support Your Baby’s Nervous System at Home

    May 12

    Life After NICU: How to Support Your Baby’s Nervous System at Home

    Discharge from NICU is often seen as the finish line, but for your baby’s nervous system, and for yours, it’s a transition, not an endpoint. In the womb, babies develop in a carefully buffered environment, dim light, filtered sound, rhythmic movement, and constant containment. In NICU, that sensory environment shifts. If you’ve felt the pressure to “catch up” after NICU, this episode offers a different lens. One that shifts the focus to regulation and supports your baby’s nervous system as it settles into life beyond the NICU. What we cover in this episode What to consider in the shift from NICU to the home environmentHow touch experiences in NICU may impact their regulationHow stationary NICU experiences may impact their movement sensory systemHow everyday environments (light, noise, smell) can impact your baby more than expectedPractical ways to support your baby to feel regulated, safe and settledWhy the urge to “catch up” can overwhelm a stressed nervous system @beyondbeepsandhums

    48 min
  5. Holding It Together in NICU (When You're Falling Apart Inside)

    May 5

    Holding It Together in NICU (When You're Falling Apart Inside)

    This is a short, reflective episode for Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week. In NICU, there is often an unspoken pressure to be okay, to look calm, to hold it together, to be strong. Behind that, many mothers are navigating postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, PTSD and one of the most vulnerable transitions of their lives, matrescence, inside a highly medical environment. In this episode, I reflect on: Post Partum Anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress DisorderThe quiet pressure to “look fine” while everything feels uncertainHow that survival mode can stay in the body long after dischargeThis episode isn’t about solutions, it’s about naming what so many NICU parents carry. In the next two episodes, we shift into what happens when you go home and how to support both your baby’s and your own nervous system in that transition. If this resonated, share it with someone who might need to hear it too. @beyondbeepsandhums

    7 min
  6. You Don't Leave NICU Behind: A Conversation on Trauma-Informed Care

    Apr 28

    You Don't Leave NICU Behind: A Conversation on Trauma-Informed Care

    In this reflective episode, I share thoughts and experiences following NICU graduation, and why the expectation to simply move on can overlook the impact of what both babies and parents have been through. There can be deep gratitude for the care received and at the same time, a nervous system that is still carrying stress, fear, and trauma. These two things can exist together. I also reflect on the responsibility placed on parents after discharge, and why more proactive, ongoing trauma-informed support for both baby and family could make a meaningful difference in this transition and quality of life for both babies and their parents after NICU discharge. This is a conversation about holding space for both sides, the gratitude, and the weight that comes with it.

    15 min
  7. Supporting Your Baby After NICU: A Look at Chiropractic Care - with Dr Jasmine Lloyd

    Apr 21

    Supporting Your Baby After NICU: A Look at Chiropractic Care - with Dr Jasmine Lloyd

    In this episode, we explore what gentle, supportive care can look like for babies after a NICU journey. Many parents leave the NICU feeling both relieved and uncertain, wondering what support their baby might need, and when to seek it. In this conversation, we unpack what paediatric chiropractic care involves, how gentle it is, and how it may support NICU babies. I’m joined by Dr Jasmine Lloyd, a paediatric chiropractor based in Paarl and Somerset West. She is part of the team at Drs Else and Robertson Chiropractors and Wellness. Dr. Lloyd is passionate about supporting the health and development of babies, children, and families through gentle chiropractic care. Together, we explore: ​What paediatric chiropractic care looks like for babies​Common concerns around safety and treatment​How early NICU positioning and experiences may influence movement and feeding patterns​Signs parents might notice at home that could indicate a need for additional support​When it may be helpful to explore gentle, hands-on careThis episode is designed to offer clarity, reassurance, and practical insight — so you can make informed decisions about what support feels right for your baby. You can reach out to Dr Lloyd and the team of chiropracters at Drs Else and Robertson Chiropractors here: www.familychiropractic.co.za @family_chiropractors Drs. Else and Robertson Chiropractors  In the podcast I refer to the following two episodes: Episode 2: If Someone You Love Has a Baby in NICU, Start Here Episode 6: When the Outside World Arrives Too Soon Beyond Beeps and Hums is a podcast exploring the emotional, developmental and human side of NICU journeys. Through stories, conversations and practical insights, the podcast supports families navigating life in the NICU and beyond the beeps and hums. If you are enjoying this podcast, following or rating the show helps more families find these conversations.@beyondbeepsandhums

    21 min
  8. When the Outside World Arrives Too Soon

    Apr 14

    When the Outside World Arrives Too Soon

    In the womb, the environment is carefully buffered, movement is rhythmic, sound is filtered, light is dim, and babies experience constant containment and gentle pressure. But in the NICU, many of these sensory experiences shift dramatically. Bright lights, alarms, alerting, painful touch and medical procedures can introduce sensory input far earlier and more intensely than the developing nervous system expected. In this episode, we explore how premature birth and NICU admissions can shape early sensory experiences and what this may mean for a baby’s nervous system as they transition home. We also talk about the concept of the window of tolerance, why many premature and full-term NICU babies can become overwhelmed within their home environments. In the month of May there will be episodes dedicated to unpacking why regulation can be challenging within the NICU space as well as practical ideas on how to support down regulation of both babies and parents' nervous systems once they graduate home. If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review or share it with a fellow NICU family. Follow @beyondbeepsandhums

    15 min
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About

Beyond Beeps & Hums is a podcast created to support and empower families on their NICU journey — and in the life that follows. Hosted by Anandé Ferreira, a two-time preemie NICU mama and pediatric occupational therapist from @playmoreot. Each episode explores the complexities of life in and beyond NICU doors. You’ll hear conversations that validate, inform, and connect — helping parents and professionals find understanding, hope, and healing. Launching 2026. No NICU journey should be faced alone.

Information

  • Creator
    Anande Ferreira
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Anande Ferreira
  • Show Website
    Beyond Beeps & Hums