Funny/happy NICU moments needed

Specialties NICU

Published

:scrying: After a wonderful 6 months maternity leave home with my girls, I'm headed back to the NICU and I need some encouragement. Help me remember WHY I love my job despite the horrendous hours.

OH, and my fridge died so 3/4 of my frozen milk supply was thawed:( and therefore ruined.

Need funny NICU moments to cheer me up! Thanks!

Cobedding twins hitting each other or sound asleep with one's hand in the other's eye.

Oxygen-filled eyes since they hate it in their noses.

Future rock-climbers that manage to get up and out of their nests and into the portholes.

Toe-sucking.

Turnip heads - always pooping while their eating and turning so red.

A 23-week vented kid that just got a pacifier for the first time and sucking like mad.

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Awwww these are all so touching

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Specializes in NICU.

I don't know why I never read this thread before - but I'm glad I read it now. My primary of five months is probably not going to make it, and I needed this tonight.

Okay, my happy NICU moment - Finding a wee one trying to kick out the porthole of the isolette might be my favorite. And yes, that look of relief on my primary's parents' faces when they see me walk in the door is good too.

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My primary of five months is probably not going to make it, and I needed this tonight.

That's really rough. I'm sorry. :( I'm glad that we have this thread to help us decompress at times like those.

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Specializes in NICU.

(((((Eliza))))) So sorry to hear that :(

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Specializes in NICU.

Thanks, guys. This is why we don't fall in love with CDH ---> ECMO ---> PPHN kids.

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Specializes in NICU.
Thanks, guys. This is why we don't fall in love with CDH ---> ECMO ---> PPHN kids.

But it's hard not to. Partly because they always have the NICEST parents in the world. Never fails.

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Happy moment: While your podmate is wrestling with an 8 1/2 lb kid who will not eat, your 1 kg baby (36 wkr, IUGR) takes 40 mL in 3 minutes, then refuses to let go of the nipple.

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Specializes in NICU.
Happy moment: While your podmate is wrestling with an 8 1/2 lb kid who will not eat, your 1 kg baby (36 wkr, IUGR) takes 40 mL in 3 minutes, then refuses to let go of the nipple.

This is why I (usually) love IUGR babies! They're so cute and little - and yet they're usually the smartest ones in the room!

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Specializes in NICU.

Only tangentially related to pt care, but:

When your NM (who is normally a giant beast who you'd like to make a voodoo doll out of) comes in in the morning, sees that you look like he**, asks what your assignment was, blanches, and says you should have filled out a Protest of Assignment form. That was awesome. Almost made up for the previous 13 hours.

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Specializes in NICU.

I just visited with a former primary of mine - he was 23 6/7 and actually had a relatively "normal" NICU stay - he was able to go home at 44 weeks on room air and all bottle feeding! Anyway... he just turned 2 a month ago and visiting with him was so much fun. It was good to catch up with his parents and to see how well he is doing. They told me that they could always rest a little easier when they knew that I would be there for the night. That's one of the best feelings in the world!

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

This is such a beautiful thread. I am a nursing student with a goal of working in peds in some capacity, and now I really want to give NICU serious consideration. As a mom myself, I was especially touched by the stories written here. Thank you for the "chicken soup for the soul!"

acheive08

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