Saturday, March 2, 2019

SOLSC '19 Day Two: Puffy eyed blinks

There is something mesmerizing in a newborn baby's gaze.  They fight against puffy lids to open their eyes just the teeniest bit, pupils looking huge and mysterious, knowing and curious at the same time.  Those eyes pull me in; a soft, higher pitched "Hello, sweetie!  Whatcha looking at?" falls from my lips. 

I have spent the last three Tuesday nights training to volunteer at the same hospital where my daughter lived for the first sixty-five days of her life, and where I later worked for three years as a NICU unit assistant and desk clerk.  It's hard to believe that it's been almost twenty-six years since the former, and twenty years the latter.  I was hoping to volunteer in the NICU, but weekend slots aren't open at the moment, and so I am down the hall in the newborn nursery.

It is strange and familiar at the same time.  The nurses are in the same blue scrubs I wore years ago; my scrubs are now a light blue embroidered top and khaki pants.  There are open warmers and bassinet cribs, but no isolettes.  Babies come and go, spending most of their hospital stay in their mothers' rooms.  And, of course, they are born at term, unladen with the  IVs, CPAP cannulas, and pulse-ox monitors that accompanied my own child who lived down the hall.

This afternoon, I'll meet my regular shift nurses for the first time.  Then I'll get to work--cleaning cribs and warmers, restocking supplies and linens, delivering lab samples, changing diapers, and hopefully cuddling a baby or two before delivering them back to their mamas, their postpartum experience already so different than my own.

4 comments:

  1. Wow Chris, how great that you are hoping to spend time in the NICU where your own daughter was. The hospital is lucky to have you.

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  2. That first paragraph is perfect! My little girl is only four months old, but I'm already missing that newborn age. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. This is so beautiful. NICU mamas, nurses, volunteers, etc. are truly my heroes. No matter where you’re helping, when it’s for brand new babies, you are doing such important, valued work!

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  4. What a wonderful opportunity! I was a baby cuddler as part of a class in college in Boston. I loved go in, scrubbing my hands, swaddling babies, rocking babies, sometimes walking a mom down in a wheelchair! Something special about being around wee little ones. Thanks for sharing!

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