This is your baby on drugs--

Okay- I'm probably not the right person to lecture the more knowledgeable masses about illicit drug use. But for goodness sake-- please stop giving them to the baby during your pregnancy! At this moment we have our own little detox unit in the NICU-- Drugs of choice include cocaine, marijuana, opiates, benzodiazepines, and Robitussin with codeine and various combinations thereof. Even if you have a prescription for it your baby will have to withdraw from the drugs. And, yes, methadone is a drug and your baby will have to detox from that too. Please don't get mad at me for stating that your baby has symptoms of chemical withdrawal, I don't make up the symptoms, I only seek to treat them so the baby can get some sleep, eat with out vomiting and quit sneezing and yawning. You try giving up drugs and see how it feels.
Yesterday I transported in two more infants in withdrawal.
Enough already. Please get some help, not for yourself, just so the baby can avoid this misery.
Thanks.

Please Don't Come To Florida

If you are pregnant do the world, yourself, and the NICU's of central Florida a favor and STAY HOME. If you have any hope for the optimal future of your unborn child do not plan a mid-pregnancy trip to Disney World-- it will still be there when the baby is old enough to enjoy it! Once again we have babies in the NICU from northern states. Born 12-15 weeks early these kids are stuck here at a minimum cost of about 4000.00/day (on a cheap day). The cost of returning you and your premature infant to your hometown will far outweigh any deposits you might lose in postponing your trip. And by the way, flying isn't any easier on your pregnant system than driving. We enjoy the influx of tourist dollars into central Florida but please, do us a favor and wait 'til the kid is old enough to appreciate the mouse. The memories of the NICU can be skipped that way.

Family Time

You may know how this one goes... I am the only nurse in the family-- so I have flown to Indianapolis to attend the second surgery in three months for a brother-in-law with bilateral renal cancer. I am very comfortable in my unit with my patients but I am not that comfortable with being a healthcare recipient in our healthcare world. Usually it is my husband who prompts long visits in the hospital. This experience has positioned me well outside my comfort zone. Why do hospitals suddenly look like upscale hotels? It looks nice but is it germ free? suddenly I really care.
Did I mention the fact that I am also working on a master's degree in nursing?-- with the goal of Neonatal Nurse Practitioner as the next career stop. One of the best things about writing a blog is that I don't have to use APA format-- Hallelujah!!!
We'll see how surgery goes and how efficiently I finish a project due today, and prepare for a test on Friday (how much is there to learn about placental development and fetal growth and nutrition).
More later......

Wow! Just like that I have a blog.

This may be an adventure in foolishness, but, here it goes.
Another day in the NICU where anyone can have a tiny and/or sick baby and no prerequisites. As any NICU nurse worth their salt can tell you there should be a minimum IQ and qualifying criteria for reproduction. Alas, no such luck.
And while we understand that you are angry because your baby isn't eating, we stand firm on our opinion that your stomach should be connected to your esophagus before we even try it. Three cheers for intact baby plumbing, and parents who comprehend the difference.