I’m still here! It has been almost three months since my last article, but I am back!
We did not anticipate how stressful the move to Texas would be. Life has been crazy – quitting my job in California, driving out to Texas, moving into an apartment in Austin, getting lost in Austin just about every day, realizing that our apartment is way too small and falling apart, starting a new job, buying a house, trying to move our California corporation and re-incorporate in Texas, and getting ready to move again! Life is now beginning to settle down, and getting back into a sort of routine and rhythm. We are so blessed to have my family here, and we have also recently found a church family here.
I started my job as a NICU nurse here, and I have already learned so much! Soon I will get a chance to spend a day with the transport nurses, and attend some deliveries! Working with premature infants is totally different than anything else! I’ve had two years of experience as a pediatric nurse, but I feel like a brand new nurse again!
During my first week on the unit, I trained with a nurse by working with the “feeders and growers” (my husband calls them the “criers and poopers”!). These are the babies that are no longer sick, but just need some time to grow and learn how to either breastfeed or bottlefeed well enough to go home. I call this place the Baby Garden, because I felt like a very special gardener. Each baby is fed, assessed, changed, and repositioned every few hours, and they would just sleep the rest of the time! The room was usually completely quiet – just full of babies that do nothing but eat, sleep, and grow!
It is hard to find an area of nursing that interests me as much as my passion for midwifery. But, I have already grown so much in my ability to take care of newborns, and in my knowledge of the breastfeeding process. (Thank goodness my hospital is very devoted to encouraging all mothers to breastfeed!) The NICU is a challenging place to work, with so much to learn, but it is already incredibly rewarding. I am so fortunate to go to work in a place where I can see real living miracles.
Coming up…- more stories about being a NICU nurse
- blogs that I read
- stories and pictures from our move to our new house!
9 Responses to “The Baby Garden”
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My name is Bethany, and I am the author of this site.
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- We're a Forever Family!
2008 Jul 16, 03:12 PM - We're Adopting!
2008 Jul 28, 10:22 PM - Introducing Selah!
2008 Jul 11, 04:50 PM - Breastfeeding with an Oversupply
2008 Jul 02, 04:31 PM - I'm Back!
2008 Jul 30, 05:55 PM - There's a pea in the pod!
2008 Jul 29, 05:40 PM - Blessed by Family & Friends
2008 Jul 12, 12:07 PM - Cranbanoatsgurt Muffins
2008 Jul 11, 02:33 PM - 2nd Anniversary
2008 Jul 11, 12:16 PM - Paperwork and Inspections
2008 Jul 03, 08:23 AM - Becoming a Foster Parent
2008 Jul 27, 02:53 AM - Our New Home
2008 Jul 25, 03:06 AM - Websites I Like
2008 Jul 25, 01:39 AM - The Baby Garden
2008 Jul 04, 07:51 AM - Becoming a NICU nurse
2008 Jul 07, 09:55 AM - Choosing A Midwife
2008 Jul 28, 09:22 AM - I'm Impressed!
2008 Jul 01, 08:02 AM - Health Insurance Coverage for Midwifery Care
2008 Jul 31, 11:12 AM - Becoming a Doula
2008 Jul 05, 04:49 AM - 10 Things I'll do Before I Become a Midwife
2008 Jul 10, 09:18 AM - Natural Family Planning
2008 Jul 10, 03:01 PM - Midwifery Conference
2008 Jul 01, 12:20 PM - Giving Birth
2008 Jul 06, 07:55 AM - Birth in Haiti
2008 Jul 29, 09:10 AM - Becoming a Midwife
2008 Jul 29, 01:00 PM - The Education Process
2008 Jul 28, 04:34 PM
July 10th, 2006 at 07:31 PM If you are interested in learning more about breastfeeding, I would encourage you to start attending LLL meetings in your area, look out for local CLC trainings, and meet up with local IBCLC's -- I encourage anyone working in women's and children's health to learn as much as possible about breastfeeding, so they can share reliable, evidence-based information with clientele. It can be so confusing for families to effectively manage breastfeeding, especially in a special-needs situation like with a preemie or other baby who needs NICU time! Kudos to you for making the world a little bit kinder. Gina (working on BSN, eventually toward CNM)
July 29th, 2006 at 04:57 AM Welcome to Austin from a CNM in Wshington State with 2 sons and their families in Austin. You will never regret getting good newborn skills, we absolutely need to keep that a part of midwifery! One small warning about the NICU though: these babies are a tiny percent of the hundreds and thousands of healthy well-grown babies being born every day. That's easy to forget, and you can come to view birth as more fragile than it really is when you spend so much time with the little ones who need extra care.
July 30th, 2006 at 09:57 AM Dear MidwifeMom, Thank you so much for the encouraging comment. I really appreciate your words of wisdom about the NICU. You are very right about the potential for thinking that birth is more dangerous and fragile than it really is. I need all the reminders I can get to keep a balanced view! Sometimes, I just need to pull out my Midwifery Today magazine or one of my midwifery books and remember how normal and beautiful the birth process is.
August 1st, 2006 at 07:28 AM I'm a 23 year old mother of two girls. I have always been interested in becoming a midwife. We are currently living in southern California for now but who knows where the military will take us next. I'm very happy that I found your blog! Before reading your tips I felt as though becoming a midwife was out of my reach. Everything on your website breaks the process down in a simple and organized way. Thank You!
August 16th, 2006 at 12:21 PM hi i am currently in school going after my RN but my passion is with the babies i have 1 daughter and everything about the process of being pregnant, birth and the three wonderful 3 years i have had with her have been a bleessing and i really want to show others how beautiful motherhood is
August 19th, 2006 at 06:35 AM So glad to have found you. I'm enjoying reading through your blogs. All 3 of our kids were born at a free-standing birth center in Culver City (not there anymore). We were home about 3 hours after the births (even stopped at a drive-thru McDonald's with Kelli) and wouldn't have wanted it any other way. We took Bradley classes with all 3 and am strong supporters of natural childbirth. Breastfed all 3 also and wouldn't have missed that for anything. I hope to keep in touch better. It sounds like you're on an exciting journey!
August 23rd, 2006 at 09:21 PM Hello! I enjoy reading your blog... I would like to let you know about The Birth Ecology Project. www.BirthEcology.org The Birth Ecology Project advocates for midwifery, doula care, natural birth, conscious parenting, and sustainable living. The Birth Ecology Journal publishes articles and essays of quality on topics of interest to parents, birth professionals, and birth advocates on the website. Workshops for parents and professionals are also in the works. Please help me to share with your readers the news about the Birth Ecology Project. Would you be interested in linking to us from your website and helping to spread the word about natural birthing? I am also seeking contributions to the Birth Ecology Journal. Be well, Kara "To change humankind, it is necessary to change the way we are born." --Michel Odent -- Kara Maia Spencer, LMT, CD www.MaiaHealingArts.com www.BirthEcology.org
March 16th, 2007 at 01:40 PM
Hi, I love your site. I found it today as I do my research on NICU’s as I have an interview for a position at one this afternoon. (Wish me luck, y’all) I love your site and I love the baby garden idea, just like the cabbage patch kids. Thanks for your enthusiasm and positive energy. You are an inspiration.
June 30th, 2007 at 12:26 PM
That was really hard time for you. But you’re back. Congratulations! And baby garden should be AMAZING! :)