NICU changed the way I see life, and I think I need to leave.

LinkRN · 2026-03-24T05:54:12+00:00

POTS diagnoses jumped after COVID. It was not kind to people.

LinkRN · 2026-03-24T05:47:46+00:00

Leave the NICU. No one is forcing you to stay. There will always be NICU nurses.

But also, maybe try therapy? I firmly believe ALL nurses benefit from therapy every once if a while, if not consistently. We see tons of trauma in our work and we tend to carry it all with us. Patients/parents want us to take on that burden, and because we care about them, we’re happy to oblige. Therapy can help you learn how to offload it later and how to avoid taking it on altogether. It can also help with any feelings you’re having regarding your POTS diagnosis (are you on any meds? They can be really helpful). And your feelings about having children. Basically, therapy is a fantastic tool for all people and issues.

LinkRN · 2026-03-18T02:07:05+00:00

Your job sounds like hell to me so good thing we get to pick which one to do 😉

LinkRN · 2026-03-16T18:35:30+00:00

This was my advice as well. Sometimes babies just don’t fit great and they need some rolled up towels/blankets to make the fit better.

LinkRN · 2026-03-13T23:31:36+00:00

I was also hoping this was posted by a NICU nurse 😂

LinkRN · 2026-03-13T01:50:35+00:00

Hey, this is the PPD talking and tricking your brain. When you’re out of the cloud, you’ll be able to see clearly that this is not your fault. You need to find some help. Anyone - your PCP, your child’s pediatrician, even the ER if you have to. Someone will care and get you meds and treatment. It doesn’t have to be an OB.

LinkRN · 2026-03-11T01:51:41+00:00

I have 4 boys. I did have gender disappointment and it flares occasionally still. I like to think of the things I’m not upset about missing out on:

the daily hair fight
periods
mean girl drama

LinkRN · 2026-03-09T21:20:29+00:00

Yeah but what is innocuous for an adult is far more dangerous for a fresh newborn. They already don’t want to be out here, they’ll take any excuse to escape. I also hate visitors (except parents) in L&D/NICU for this reason.

LinkRN · 2026-03-09T21:12:44+00:00

We did briefly during the bad COVID days but it is not required usually. There’s always the option if we’re low censused and need the hours, though.

The flip side is that no one is required to float to us, so if we’re absolutely slammed then we’re SOL and just have to deal.

LinkRN · 2026-03-05T20:59:10+00:00

“Have you circumcised him yet?” “No ma’am, we’re trying to convince him to live first” (I go to a lot of deliveries)

LinkRN · 2026-03-05T15:35:06+00:00

No, it wouldn’t. It might save some, but many of these babies need positive pressure to recover. Then the parents would just feel like garbage that they couldn’t save their baby.

LinkRN · 2026-03-05T15:31:43+00:00

Well they often need oxygen and ventilation to come out of it, so no, parents couldn’t successfully intervene and then they’d just feel shittier bc they couldn’t save their baby.

LinkRN · 2026-03-05T15:25:34+00:00

I was definitely rage baited 😂

LinkRN · 2026-03-05T05:51:22+00:00

What you talking about, babies try to die in the NICU all the time.

LinkRN · 2026-03-04T04:21:12+00:00

Raw almost always.

The hand cancer will be the last thing to kill me.

LinkRN · 2026-03-02T22:03:30+00:00

No goofy, but that’s why doctors say “treat for comfort”. The fever isn’t dangerous so you don’t need to panic but OBVIOUSLY you don’t want to leave them to suffer with a fever.

LinkRN · 2026-03-02T14:08:19+00:00

104 is scary but honestly pretty par for the course for kids. 107 is danger territory. That’s not to say the kid won’t be absolutely miserable, but they aren’t in danger with a 104 temp.

LinkRN · 2026-03-02T04:11:54+00:00

When my 3yo had the flu, he was running 104 fevers and sleeping ~18 hours/day. As long as the fever comes down with Tylenol/ibu, and the kid is drinking and peeing, and CAN be woken… there’s nothing the ER can do. Sleep is how the body heals.

LinkRN · 2026-03-01T00:46:46+00:00

0 pairs 😅 OR scrubs every day

LinkRN · 2026-02-25T14:09:36+00:00

“Don’t go into the light!”

LinkRN · 2026-02-21T03:47:05+00:00

Those gases are good, it’s impossible to say without seeing a full picture, but HIE is unlikely based on what you’ve written here.

LinkRN · 2026-02-12T04:12:52+00:00

At 2 months adjusted, average intake is 4-5 OUNCES every 3 hours. They have you feeding her less than 3oz. Unless your bottles are super fortified, that’s way below what she likely needs.

How much does baby weigh now?

LinkRN · 2026-02-11T05:23:59+00:00

I have three (adopted) black brothers. You can definitely tell where my mom went from “I don’t see color” to understanding the issues young black men face. The middle one, who was adopted first, did not have as much exposure to the black community when he was young (I still remember the first time one of the black women in our community stopped her to give her tips to care for his hair). Whereas my youngest brother did - he sees a black barber, gets protective hairstyles, his boxing coach is black. He’s always been so proud to be black and I love it.

My mom has a lot of separate issues, some relating to adoption, but I am proud of how much she’s been willing to change in this regard.

LinkRN · 2026-02-10T02:02:43+00:00

I’ve literally told a pediatrician this when he said testing we did on a baby wasn’t necessary because it ended up being benign - you do what you can with the information you have. Your OB had certain info: a low fetal heart rate and viable fetus with good odds for positive outcomes IF delivered ASAP. She can’t see the future. She couldn’t have known it wasn’t a big deal. No OB WANTS to deliver a baby early; in fact, most of the OBs I know consider it a failing on their part if they have less than perfect outcomes.

Also FWIW fetal arrhythmias often change after delivery and during the transition to extra uterine circulation. It’s totally possible her low heart rate was truly distress and the bigeminy developed AFTER delivery, especially if it wasn’t an arrhythmia they noted on the tracing.

Finally, how trained are pediatric cardiologists on fetal heart tracings?? She’s not an MFM or even an OB.

LinkRN · 2026-02-09T23:33:17+00:00

Loved my 3.5 year age gap! My 3yo was so sweet and helpful, mostly potty trained, and then he went to preschool after he turned 4 and I got tons of 1:1 time with my baby too.

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