Something fun: What would you REALLY like to say to new PARENTS?

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 18, 2009

A little off-topic but the mucus plug reference made me remember something funny. Back in my first year out of nursing school we had a gal bring hers in a urine speci cup (where she got that I dunno). Anyhow she presents it at the nurses' desk and says, " I am here to have my baby now, here is my mucus plug".....

A little education was needed obviously. It was all I could do not to gag, and/or laugh. Bless her heart.

And the mucus plug went into the red bag container obviously, and she went home still pregnant.

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2009

Sometimes the little voice in my head just wants to scream "you peed on yourself, you peed on yourself...neener neener neener".

Ahhh. This is a cathartic thread.

ruralnurs · Mar 20, 2009

1. I told you not to put that cute little pink outfit on your new baby until she has that first black tar mec blowout....you will never get that black stain out of that cute little pink outfit!

2. Of Course he is crying, and fidgety, he is in nicotine withdrawal! You know all those yucky nicotine fit, withdrawal, anxiety, agitation, irritable feelings you could not put yourself though to quit smoking while you were pregnant? Now your baby is having it all. Isn't that special?

3. Yes, he will suck 4-5 ounces of formula out of the bottle, and yes his tummy is way too small to hold that much and yes he will puke it up. Just because he keeps sucking does not mean you should keep feeding him (from the bottle).

4. No, we can't put you in a wheel chair with your epidural and IV pump on a pole and let your family take you out to smoke.

lamazeteacher · Mar 20, 2009

Yeah, but if they give the Tylenol . . then the kid won't have a fever . . .and you won't believe them that the kid HAD a fever.
steph:coollook:

I tell them before they deliver, in class, that unless they want their baby to have the most expensive bath in the nation, they should give the tylenol after taking the temperature (having given them a list of parent "tools" that includes a thermometer), preferably when the baby isn't crying to beat the band (but not to wait more than 15 minutes). If the temperature is above 102 degrees fahrenheit (taken in the ear, or the axilla if they can't afford an ear thermometer, never the orifice), I instruct them to put tepid water (slightly lower than their own elbow's temperature) in the baby's tub, undress the baby and put some toys with him/her there for about 5 minutes if the baby's showing signs of not wanting to be in the tub (screaming)..

Then, in 10 minutes more, they should take the temperature again and it will most likely be a few degrees lower

and the baby can be lightly dressed, nursed/drink something clear, like diluted apple juice (depending on age, pedialyte for the very young ones) and put to sleep. They should then set the alarm clock for 3 hours later, and check the baby's temperature again, repeating the whole process if the temp's over 102 again. After that, their baby's doctor's office will probably be open. They should call, make an appointment for that day (keep calling back until you reach someone who does that).

Since there's so much information to give new parents at discharge, I don't recommend telling them all that then. Give them a printout which you can say is critical reading material. Usually newborns are afebrile for at least 6 weeks or longer, as mom's antibodies keep them from catching anything she's had. If mom comes down with a "bug", she'll be making antibodies quickly and confer them to the baby in her breast milk.

Sorry to get serious here, but I hate knowing that parents wrap the babies in blankets and go to the ED without first bathing them at home, first. :nurse:

lamazeteacher · Mar 20, 2009

On a less serious note, I'd love to say, "You're not going to remember anything I say now, so go home and wing it"

ruralnurs · Mar 20, 2009

"i instruct them to put tepid water (slightly lower than their own elbow's temperature) in the baby's tub"

this part is vitally important to reinforce. i also work as an rn in our rural er. just a few weeks ago when it was about -12 outside (nw montana) a woman came running into the er with a wet, naked, wrapped in a wet bath towel, pale flaccid 2 year old. she was ready to code. we have awesome nurses that work well together and usually the doc is at home within 10 min. we started to work on her, (try putting an iv into a clamped down cold, flaccid baby, she did not even flinch when i put a 22 into her ac, which tells me she is bad). her o2 sats were in the low 80s and her heart rate was over 180. we worked on her for over an hour (waiting for the tertiary care center to get there) before she even acted slightly like a 2 year old.

long story short, she had a fever of mom says 104 or something she put her in a tub of "cool" water and baby started to seize a few minutes later. she grabbed the girl in a wet towel, got in a freezing cold car, drove 5 miles to our facility (kid not in a car seat) and shoved her into one of the nurses arms as she walked through the door. her rectal temp on presentation was 101.8.

we ended up shipping her. not sure if she was having febrile seizures or what, they never figured it out. i would think that if she was on the verge of a seizure, that kind of temperature change put her over the edge. tepid baths are great, probably should not wait til the kid is 104 and not give her tylenol. yes cps was involved, actually they have been involved with this family for quite a while, oh and mom just found out she is expecting again, (and yes, they are on u&i insurance... in other words you and i are paying for it) how sweet................

teensytoes · Mar 21, 2009

To the dad who told me "No, she won't have any Percocet, it's too strong" before mom could even reply to me:

"Excuse me sir, but were you the one who just passed a watermelon through your happy place and had it stitched back together? Didn't think so."

teensytoes · Mar 21, 2009

To the 16 year old mom who said "Do I have to feed her again ALREADY? I haven't gotten any sleep ALL NIGHT..."

I wanted to say "but you sure didn't mind not getting any sleep about 9 months ago, did you sweetie?.... kinda sucks being a grown up, doesn't it?"

I'm always afraid for those babies once they get home without someone to make sure they eat, get changed, etc...

CEG · Mar 21, 2009

I tell them before they deliver, in class, that unless they want their baby to have the most expensive bath in the nation, they should give the tylenol after taking the temperature (having given them a list of parent "tools" that includes a thermometer), preferably when the baby isn't crying to beat the band (but not to wait more than 15 minutes). If the temperature is above 102 degrees fahrenheit (taken in the ear, or the axilla if they can't afford an ear thermometer, never the orifice), I instruct them to put tepid water (slightly lower than their own elbow's temperature) in the baby's tub, undress the baby and put some toys with him/her there for about 5 minutes if the baby's showing signs of not wanting to be in the tub (screaming)..
Then, in 10 minutes more, they should take the temperature again and it will most likely be a few degrees lower
and the baby can be lightly dressed, nursed/drink something clear, like diluted apple juice (depending on age, pedialyte for the very young ones) and put to sleep. They should then set the alarm clock for 3 hours later, and check the baby's temperature again, repeating the whole process if the temp's over 102 again. After that, their baby's doctor's office will probably be open. They should call, make an appointment for that day (keep calling back until you reach someone who does that).
Since there's so much information to give new parents at discharge, I don't recommend telling them all that then. Give them a printout which you can say is critical reading material. Usually newborns are afebrile for at least 6 weeks or longer, as mom's antibodies keep them from catching anything she's had. If mom comes down with a "bug", she'll be making antibodies quickly and confer them to the baby in her breast milk.
Sorry to get serious here, but I hate knowing that parents wrap the babies in blankets and go to the ED without first bathing them at home, first.

thanks for clarifying this.... but I too have had the experience of giving a sick child Tylenol and later take them in only to be scolded and told that they probably didn't even have a fever. Really annoying. Specifically my son broke out in a rash with a high fever. Took him to urgent care a few hours later, fever controlled by Tylenol but rash worse... told to take him to doc's office on Monday (two days later) because he obviously had no fever and no other signs of communicable disease.

VTBabyNurse · Mar 21, 2009

1) Last week at the office a soon to be mom at 39 weeks said "If I don't have my baby this week I will be devastated! My mom is only here for a week!". Um sorry, the baby doesn't go on your mother's timetable, or yours. He will get here when he's ready. She's being induced now....

2) A couple of week ago we were checking the baby's blood sugar and the dad said, "it ought to be good, I haven't had any sodas today." I wanted to say "wow you are dumb".

3) When they bring the baby to the nursery so they can go outside to smoke I wish I could say "sorry, the nursery is closed!"

4) One time this mom told me that her WIC appointment wasn't for a week so I needed to give her a week's worth of formula to take home. I wanted to say "Um, if you can't feed your baby for a week shouldn't you be saving your money instead of going down to the cafeteria to buy yourself a sub?" Or how about, "if you can't feed your baby for a week maybe you should give up your cell phone".

Drakebrn · Mar 22, 2009

"I understand your belly button is sore but that does not mean the cord is wrapped around the babies neck. Remember the babies cord is not connected to YOUR BELLY BUTTON!!! Here let me draw you a picture ..... again."

Yes it's sad that this particular patient was a G5P4. Days like those you have to smile!

PattonD · Mar 22, 2009

I'm not a nurse (wifey is) but I am an air quality specialist. What I want to know is why new moms take their babies home and put them in the room they have prepared for them with fresh paint and brand new furniture? What they don't realize is that furniture finish, paint and some toys can "off gas" putting toxic fumes in the air. Also they wipe down the baby mattress with bleach. Bleach isn't good to breathe for adults not to mention newborns.

So from the baby's day one in their new home "nursery" they are breathing in toxins that were put there by the parents.

The solution is to not pollute the space by not brining poison in. For the poison gases that are already there (such as carpet padding glue) the solution is filtered fresh outdoor air. This can be mechanically provided but yes it can get quite expensive. A cheaper solution would be to crack a window but this drawback is not a very good way to filter particles.