Disgusted

I feel worse for the babies.

I'm just going to assume you've never had to care for multiple drug babies. It's definitely not fun. Even the most compassionate person can get frustrated.

I may not work in NICU, but I do work with patients with substance abuse issues, and you are making quite an assumption in saying that these moms are judging themselves already.

I had a few moms in mother-baby who's babies tested positive for xyz drug. And honestly, none of them acted like they were in any way being critical or remorseful for their behavior, the behavior that landed their newborns in NICU. So...yea....

Are you KIDDEN me?!

With grammar like that, you must be "kidden" me.

As it is clear that you're not a nurse, why don't you step off the throne of judgment as you've never walked a mile in the shoes of nurses who work with these kiddos and their parents all day long. Ironic that you come here accusing nurses of being judgmental with an attitude like that.

Why don't you become a comforter on a NICU and sit and hold these babies for hours while they scream. Or listen to a mom who tells you her other 5 kids didn't withdraw like this. Walk a day in our shoes and see these babies and see the moms who think it is okay to take methadone or any other illicit drug while they are pregnant. Then come back on here and let us know what you think. Right now my unit has 11 withdrawing babies.

And I hope more states pass more legislation to press charges on mother's who use during their pregnancy.

While nurses are in the business of caring for humans, including rapists, murders, drug addicts. Just because they come here and unleash their frustrations with other folk who can commiserate with them, DOESNT mean they treat their patients any different.

I come here all the time to vent about the most ridiculous patients.. But best believe the patient has no idea. I slap that fake smile on my face and carry on.

I noticed that this is your first post on allnurses.com. Are you in the healthcare profession? If not, I can understand about your initial reaction as a member of the lay public.

This is a nursing forum where we go to vent about our profession and our patients because the reality of our job is that it is very hard and there is a lot of burnout. When you've been a nurse for several years and take care of the same types of patients over and over again, it's almost impossible not to have some cynicism. I would imagine that all of the nurses here, if not most, are perfectly acceptable at work in that they do not treat their patients and families differently by visibly judging them in front of the patients families.

You're right that nursing is supposed to be about compassion and caring. But we are all human and if we kept everything bottled up all the time, we would not be able to be effective nurses. Forums such as these (and the breakrooms at work) are places in which nurses can feel safe to vent their feelings so that they are able to provide excellent care to their patients.

I would agree with you that it's silly to think that heroin/meth is better for baby than methadone. While infants generally have a shorter withdrawal time, studies do show that moms who are on methadone are more likely to be in a program in which they have access to prenatal care and healthy food. To be in a methadone program means that you are trying to get help, which generally has better outcomes for infants (like gestational age and birthweight) and ultimately a safe environment for the infant to go home to. I would caution NICU nurses to remember that some moms are on methadone due to chronic pain problems like fibromyalgia and are otherwise perfectly competent and safe to care for their infants.

I understand that as a lay person coming to a nursing forum, it must be horrendous for you to read some of medical dark humor, especially if you're not used to it, but I want you to know that by and large it's merely a coping mechanism.

You have no idea how stressful it is caring for a screaming drug withdrawal infant for 12 hours at a time and more than likely you also have to care for other infants as well. It would help some if the parents actually came in to care for their infant but few do.

And I hope more states pass more legislation to press charges on mother's who use during their pregnancy.

.....and you will have more babies born out of hospital to avoid that law......

I have to agree that this is a place that we come to vent frustrations at times to fellow nurses. It is not meant to be for the general public to come and judge us. Being frustrated with a situations does not mean that we lack compassion for the babies and the families. It might just mean we had a bad day and need someone to talk to who has been there.

I am absolutely DISGUSTED with the way some of you nurses are speaking on here about "methadone babies"! I can not believe you people are nurses, to be a nurse you need to have compassion and it's obvious a lot of you are judgemental & show no compassion for the suffering mother! You think these people want a life like they have?!! Methadone was the best choice for these people at the time and I can't believe a nurse actually said "herion or crystal meth is Better than methadone". Are you KIDDEN me?! This is disgusting to see this, the last thing these mothers need is a "professional, someone who knows what they're talking about" to judge them! They are already judging themselves! WOW!

Methadone was the best choice? I would think drug free would be a better choice. Choice is the key word here. Adults always have choices, children do not.

We're not here to take care of the suffering mother, we are in the NICU to take care of the suffering baby who had no choice.

Now, I am aware that every person has their story and their reasons for why they do what they do. Some of our withdrawal babies are from mothers who have been working hard to get clean or were on narcotics due to legitimate medical reasons. However, there are the moms who are not making that effort and unnecessarily subjecting baby after baby to needless suffering.