Being Pregnant
Pregnant and Working in a NICU
In less than a week I start my last clinical affiliation for my graduate school program. Most of my previous affiliations have been in outpatient clinics and, while busy, have been relatively low stress and the majority of them have been for between 3 and 6 weeks. I have had a few in hospitals or residential centers, but nothing quite like the one I am about to begin next week, especially since it is 16 weeks long. Which means on my last day I will be one day shy of 38 weeks pregnant. Not cutting it close at all.
I requested this spot at the beginning of my 3 year graduate school career, long before a baby was on the horizon, and now I find myself facing a bit of a mental challenge. You see, next week I begin working in the NICU.
I am having a bit of an internal struggle because this affiliation, this experience, is something I have wanted for so long, but at the same time, I know it is going to be mentally and emotionally exhausting. Thankfully, this isn’t the NICU at the hospital where I’ll be delivering, so it’s a little removed from my real life. But as my pregnancy and this affiliation progress, I think it’s going to get more and more challenging.
I am going to see babies that are the same gestational age as my son, fighting to learn to breathe and eat. I’m going to see mothers who should be where I am in pregnancy, instead, devoting hours, days and weeks to their tiny infants. Families who are facing one of the toughest fights that I can’t even begin to imagine. It breaks my heart just thinking about it, I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to face it each day.
I want so badly to be able to help these infants, these families. To help their children grow and eat and to provide quality care for them. This is a setting I’ve wanted to work in for years, and it is an extremely difficult affiliation to come by, so it would be insane to turn it down. Not to mention a lot of trouble since it starts in less than a week. But I just don’t know how to prepare for something like this.
My current plan is to do the best I can to take it one day at a time, like all things. I think it’s normal to be a little scared in this situation and I’m not going to try to pretend otherwise. I’m just going to breathe, relax and try to learn what I can. And hopefully I can walk out of that NICU on my last day with a great experience under my belt and a jumpstart to a career I’ve always dreamed of.
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6 Comments
Daisy commented on Dec 28 11 at 3:52 pmWhile I know you will nervous (and rightly so) I think your pregnancy will make you and incredibly passionate & understanding health care worker in some people’s darkest days- which is something you should be proud of!
Al_Pal commented on Dec 29 11 at 12:01 amWow. Best Wishes! You can do it!!!
Lionspaw commented on Dec 29 11 at 2:28 pmCongrats on getting the affiliation. I’ve wanted to become a NICU nurse ever since my son was born and I saw the wonderful nurses who took care of him. However, my husband and I decided family was more important at this point in time. That being said, I think you are going to do great! You’ve wanted this for years and that will make a huge difference. But don’t take it personally if some of the parents at the NICU aren’t quite as welcoming to you, especially as you get further along. I don’t know how much experience you have with being on the patient side of things in a NICU, but it is a difficult time for most parents, especially if it is a situation where their child is not premature, but that there is a health problem unrelated to prematurity. Be kind and sensitive and you will do great!
Sharon Gourlay commented on Dec 29 11 at 2:30 pmAs the mother of three babies who had to be in the NICU, I can say that I am very thankful for people such as yourself who are willing to give of yourself and support babies and families in the NICU. My first child was born at 26 weeks and passed two weeks later. The nurses in the NICU and the doctors have meant the world to me and my husband. Our 5 and 6 year old daughters were in the NICU for a short time. I had an incompetent cervix and a previous emergency Csection which caused my next pregnancies to be high risk. They both were delivered at 36 weeks and stay just a very short time in the NICU after birth. Again we were thankful for those professionals in that department. With that being said I am also a childbirth educator. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that standing on your feet for long periods of time during late pregnancy can sometimes stress Mama and baby. Alot of nurses are put on bedrest because of this issue. Please take care of yourself your baby. Make sure you sit down periodically if at all possible during your shifts. The families you support along with your own little babe will be thankful if you do. Wishing you a gentle and calm birth experience:).
Megan commented on Dec 29 11 at 9:34 pmI used to be a NICU nurse (I had to give it up since my husband’s job moved us overseas), and my son was a NICU baby for his first 2 weeks of life. While I was never pregnant while I worked there, I can imagine how it would be very nerve wracking to be pregnant in the NICU. On the upside, the NICU is a very fast paced, busy environment where you rarely get the chance to think about what’s going on in your own life, which may be a bonus for you (just make sure you sit as often as possible, drink a lot of water, and take the time to pee – I would sometimes go 12+ hours without peeing once). All this having been said, I have countless friends who’ve been pregnant while working as a NICU nurse/NNP. While they may have been apprehensive, they ultimately did their jobs flawlessly and with grace, as I’m sure you will do. :) Relax, remember to breathe, and enjoy this wonderful job!
Justine commented on Jan 10 12 at 11:05 pmBest of luck! I’m a NICU nurse at a large children’s hospital and I love it when we have pregnant nurses and we compare their belly with babies the same gestational age. I very much hope that your little one will not require its services!
Are you studying to be a neonatal nurse practitioner?
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