Experiencing the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) as a parent was both the hardest and most inspiring experience I’ve ever had. There were many difficult days and there were days that I was amazed by all the progress my little guy was making. I know all too well how it feels the moment the doctor says it’s “time,” how your only thought is that this is not what we planned, and that we just are not ready.
The best day, by far, was the day I walked out of the NICU with my preemie. I was happy to go home, but I also knew right then and there that I wanted to help babies just like mine and mommies just like me. So here I am today, a premature NICU nurse at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
As both a NICU nurse and a NICU mom myself, here are the 5 things I wish I would have known, or heard, before I walked into the NICU for the first time:
- The first, and most important thing to know, is that you did nothing wrong. My body, just as yours, held and cared for my baby as long as it could. Now your doctors and nurses will do everything they can to help your baby keep growing and developing until he or she is ready to go home. These are very special people who love what they do and they will care for your baby exceptionally. On that note, don’t expect your baby to go home any sooner than your original due date. Time in the NICU can be one step forward, two steps back, so focus on the positive.
- You may think there is nothing you can do for your baby, but there is – pumping. Start working on your baby’s milk supply. Pump every single time your baby eats so that you can keep up with the demand. Mothers of premature babies produce breast milk that is slightly different in composition, at least for the first several weeks, and this difference is designed to meet your baby’s particular needs.[i]
- Fragile babies and preemies sleep a lot. Your baby’s health care team takes care of all your baby’s needs during “tough times.” This is the perfect time to get involved and learn how to care for your baby so that there are minimal interruptions to all the growing that’s going on. Studies have shown that sleep is essential for organizing and maturation of the brain, especially in premature infants.[ii]This means that allowing your baby to sleep will help facilitate learning, reinforce memory, and support healthy brain formation.
- Don’t let all those wires and monitors scare you. They are there to read and interpret your baby’s vital signs. The noises you hear coming from the equipment let the care team know what is going on. All the noises may seem the same to you, but the nurses can identify each one of the different sounds. Even though the monitors give us an idea of what is going on, there is no better indicator of your baby’s condition than the way he or she looks.
- We all know you want your baby home, but always remember that you want him or her home when it’s the right time. I believe with all my heart that if there was one thing your baby could say to you, it would be, “My heart, my lungs, my tummy, and all my tiny organs are not supposed to be working just yet, so please have patience with me until I learn to use them all on my own. Praise me because I am doing a great job.”
Congratulations on your new baby! Enjoy your visits with him or her. Take pictures, remember moments, and record all their important milestones. This might be the first time you hear it, but certainly not the last – they grow up way too fast!
Marlene Torres, BSN, RN, IBCLC, is a NICU nurse at Mount Sinai Medical Center. For more information about labor and delivery at Mount Sinai Medical Center, please contact patient relations 305.674.2990 ext.4 or ptrelations@msmc.com.
[i] American Academy of Pediatrics. (2009, November 2). Providing Breastmilk for Premature and Ill Newborns. Retrieved 3 2018, July, from www.healthychildren.org: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/Providing-Breastmilk-for-Premature-and-Ill-Newborns.aspx
[ii] Hasanpour, M. F. (2017, May-June). Impact of a Neonatal Sleep Care Training Program on Nurses’ Knowledge and Performance in Neonatal Intensive Care Units. ranian Journal Of Nursing & Midwifery Research, 22(3), 215-218.