When your newborn goes to the NICU, nothing feels “normal.” In this honest conversation, author and creative director Emily Rosen shares the 16-day NICU journey with her son Max, the grief of leaving the hospital without your baby, and the small lifelines that help you keep going. We talk day-to-day NICU rhythms, supporting partners, what friends can actually do, and why Emily wrote Waiting for Max—a children’s book that helps siblings (and grown-ups) understand NICU life with hope, not fear. If you’re in it now or love someone who is, this one’s for you.
Preorder: Waiting for Max
Connect with Emily: Instagram @EmilyRosenCreative
TikTok @Emily.Rosen.Creative
Guest: Emily Rosen — author of Waiting for Max, creative director, mom of two.
Topics we cover:
The moment plans change: premature labor, fast decisions, and naming later
What a “normal” NICU day looks like (feeds, skin-to-skin, rounds, notes)
The partner dance: care, tears, pancakes, and trying to sleep
What to say (and not say) to NICU parents
Tiny practical love: Venmo, freezable food, pump-part help
Self-compassion after birth trauma + letting go of “should”
How Waiting for Max helps siblings process scary environments
Hope for the mom in the uncomfortable hospital chair
Book launch details + why representation of NICU stories matters
Timestamps
00:39 Intro + Chelsea’s NICU story
02:19 Meet Emily + family
03:49 Max’s birth + 16 days in NICU (SVT, feeding/growing)
06:39 Why write Waiting for Max + who it’s for
10:27 What those early hours really felt like
14:09 A “typical” NICU day: feeds, hand-washing, rounds
16:29 Partnering through stress, pancakes, and naps
19:38 How friends can help (specifics that matter)
21:32 Therapy, self-blame, and compassion
23:39 Deciding to write the book
26:46 The lobby moment + grief of not going home together
31:38 A message to the mom in the chair
33:33 Sunshine, short walks, tiny resets
34:30 Where to find the book + who it helps
39:15 Max today: DJ, dance parties, tender big brother
40:34 What’s next: a “Waiting for…” series (surrogacy story)
Schedule a connection call with Chelsea: Calendly.com/chelseaskaggs/connection-call