She Is A NICU Nurse

She administered IVs, sticks and pokes.
She consoled my baby and whispered how sorry she was.
She saw my heart break through the tears each time.

She unplugged my baby of all the machines deemed necessary.
She sat me down with a soft pull of my hand.
And free of cords, she was the first to place my baby in my arms.

She pulled the curtain, turned off the lights.
And finally, I got to hold on tight to my 2-day old baby, chest to chest.

She overheard me joke my baby needed some pink, she looked so much like her brother.
She surprised me the next hour with pink decor.
She had my baby wrapped in a pink blanket and a pink hat.

She smelled like coffee, a scent I soon would take on myself.
And the next hour, she smelt like spearmint.

She trusted us with every single mL.
She shook her head at the thought of a feeding tube.
She helped position and hold, and taught us feeding tricks acquired throughout her years.
She said our baby is an excellent eater.
She’ll finish every last drop from the bottle.
And she did.

She cheered every number cleared and accomplished goal.
She clapped every bottle consumed and ounce gained.
She wrote numerous times, “#1 GOAL – HOME!”

She was thorough with every round and every report given.
She spoke carefully and slowly in a manner I, too, would understand.
She spoke to the next nurse coming in as if my baby was her own.
And with each alarm, I’d hear her from across the unit, “Is that my baby?”

She told me to rest.
She promised I needed to be strong.
She kept her promises.
She sang sweetly as she rocked and fed.
At 12am, 2am, 4am and 6am.

She remembered my emotions, my concerns and my tears better than I could.
She said a prayer before our final foot stick that night.
She knew if we were above 65, the IV could come out.
And it did.

She is part of a team that doesn’t get enough recognition.
She cares of the newest, most precious and fragile beings.
She is the support every family deserves in this unit.
She a NICU nurse.

A special and heartfelt thank you to the Burnsville Ridges Hospital NICU nurses.