The NICU Nurse: A Short Story

The moment had finally come. It was "go" time! My daughter was about to be born. The most nerve racking time of my life yet the most exciting time also. After 32 hours of labor with no epidural and running a 103.2 fever it was time for pushing to begin. Thought's ran through my mind as the room was filling with nurses and doctors. It was more then I had expected. I overheard the doctor call for the NICU team to be present. As the nurses kept disabling parts of the bed to make it more labor friendly, I asked "why is the NICU needing to be present"? The nurse responded back with "the doctor is concerned because of the about of hours you've been in labor and your high fever." She walked away before another nurse placed an oxygen mask on me to

Finally after 57 minutes of pushing and the doctor having to rotate her while inside me she was born. The second she was born she was passed to a NICU nurse and was wheeled off. I laid there wondering what was going on and if my little girl was ok. About 30 minutes later they brought her back into the delivery room where I was and told me she was born at 5:24 p.m., weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and was 21 inches long. The nurse told me once I was moved to my recovery room they would go over options with me regarding "Aniston's" health. I remember crying and crying not knowing what to expect. I remember thinking the worse but praying for the

Once I was situated and in my new room the room began to fill with nurses. They informed me because of the extent of my labor and my high fever I had during the course of it all I had an infection. However they were not sure if the infection was from me and may of spread to the baby or if the infection was from the baby and it spread to me. But that on top of this infection my daughter Aniston had swallowed "meconium" during the birthing process. They went over the treatment and explained they needed to do a spinal tap, along with a few other treatments but she would have to remain in the NICU until cleared. It felt like I went through a box of tissues just picturing my newborn having to go through all this let alone the pain she would feel from the spinal tap just moments after being born. Shortly after agreeing to the treatment plan I was handed quite a few consent forms to sign.

A few hours after Aniston was born I was told I was allowed to go see her. I was so excited to see my sweet girl I couldn't get there fast enough. I walked into the NICU and my heart broke. My baby had wires all over her, looked lonely in her bassinet and just kept staring at me every time she heard my voice. Shortly after talking with the nurse that was caring for her I was able to hold her. I rocked her to sleep and never let her go until