Parents never cease to surprise me

Specialties NICU

Published

Specializes in NICU.

So, when we send babies home, we always have the parents demonstrate CPR. I was discharging a baby to a young mother and was getting ready to have her demonstrate CPR. She asked if she could demonstrate on her baby! Apparently her mother told her to ask that! That so freaks me out! It's no wonder that some of these young girls have no clue when their parents clearly have no clue (not that I'm making excuses because I think we get to a point where we have to make our own decisions). I sometimes wonder how these young girls even made it when I meet their moms who seem to have no clue how to care for a baby. It blows my mind.

Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

I am so glad that we have classes for the parents...I couldn't stand to have to teach them and have them ask me something like that..I'm afraid I would scream!!!!

I had a mom one time tell me that she was going to used the concentrated formula...great and fine except she told me that she was going to only feed her baby 4x a day instead of 8x because the calories would be higher if she didn't dilute it! Argggg!!!!!! I almost screamed at that one!!!!

Specializes in NICU.

OMG! Sometimes it shocks me how much they don't know. I also like the moms that lie to us like we are that dumb. The same mom who wanted to demonstrate CPR on her baby was found to have smoked marijauna while pregnant (the mec stat came back positive the day she was leaving) so social work came to talk to her. She said she never smoked it, but she was around some people who were smoking it. Riiiiigghhttt...

OMG! Sometimes it shocks me how much they don't know. I also like the moms that lie to us like we are that dumb. The same mom who wanted to demonstrate CPR on her baby was found to have smoked marijauna while pregnant (the mec stat came back positive the day she was leaving) so social work came to talk to her. She said she never smoked it, but she was around some people who were smoking it. Riiiiigghhttt...

Is it possible to have a positive mec stat from "second hand marijuana" smoke?

Specializes in NICU Level III.
Is it possible to have a positive mec stat from "second hand marijuana" smoke?

I'm guessing not unless they were smoking it and she purposely inhaled what they exhaled...

Gotta love it when the kids FIRST come down intubated and when the parents visit, the first thing they ask is, so, when can he be circ'ed? ... ?!?! Uh...we have more important issues..

Specializes in NICU.

I'm guessing these young mom's were probably raised with the help of grandma when they were babies/children. That could explain at least some part of the grandma of the new baby being clueless. Otherwise, some people are just ...dare i say...stupid.

Specializes in NICU.
Is it possible to have a positive mec stat from "second hand marijuana" smoke?

It must be, because that's always why the mec screens turn up positive!

:rolleyes:

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Back in the days of mercury thermometers, I encountered a dad who didn't think the thermometer was working, so he lit a match....

Here's a question that astonished me:

I was talking to the parents on day 2 or 3 and explained that the handling/feeding times were 3, 6, 9, etc., and that those were therefore particularly good times for them to come in. The dad asked me, "If we don't come, will you still feed him?"

Specializes in ICN.

I helped care for a family who were very observant Jews, and had planned a whole special time for mother and baby and all extended family. There was to be a home birth, lots of feasting and special care for mama, and then after 8 days, a bris. Naturally, mom developed a fever during delivery and the baby was born sick and rushed to our nursery. The mom was so angry because "WE", as in our nursery, had ruined her special celebration and she couldn't have her princess time with the rabbi attending the Bris on the eighth day. They pushed to have their baby go home on IV antibiotics, something we'd never done before or since, so that he could be home on day eight, although they were not allowed to circ him that day. Afterwards, the dad told us that having the baby home with IV antibiotics was a terrible strain to the whole family.

The baby got better--thank goodness!

Dawn

Specializes in NICU.
I helped care for a family who were very observant Jews, and had planned a whole special time for mother and baby and all extended family. There was to be a home birth, lots of feasting and special care for mama, and then after 8 days, a bris. Naturally, mom developed a fever during delivery and the baby was born sick and rushed to our nursery. The mom was so angry because "WE", as in our nursery, had ruined her special celebration and she couldn't have her princess time with the rabbi attending the Bris on the eighth day. They pushed to have their baby go home on IV antibiotics, something we'd never done before or since, so that he could be home on day eight, although they were not allowed to circ him that day. Afterwards, the dad told us that having the baby home with IV antibiotics was a terrible strain to the whole family.

The baby got better--thank goodness!

Dawn

I really hate when the physicians give in and do things just because the parents are control freaks. We have a set of twins now, and the mom and dad are so picky about EVERYTHING. They are educated and think they know best, but I just want to say, "is your doctoral degree in NICU care?!" One twin is ready to go home, but parents don't want him to go without the other one. I understand that may make things more difficult, but it's not a hotel. So, the doc (of course) is believing the parents when they say they "need to get the house ready for him first" so he's already staying a day longer. We shall see what tomorrow brings.

Specializes in NICU III/Transport.

Two of my most shocking moments...

Urine drug screen comes back positive... mom denies use but says dad is user... and that they'd had sex just before baby was born...

Another baby, born with severe holoprosencephaly, was deemed a "girl" at the referring hospital. Upon assessment at our facility, we explained to the father and grandmother that the baby was most likely a boy with a micromember and that we'd send for chromosomal analysis. I, as the nurse, had a hard time getting over the cyclopia and single nare... but grandma was more concerned about "other" things... she asked me if the baby was going to be gay. I was utterly speechless...

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