In August I gave birth to my first baby, a little girl. My husband and I spent years trying to start a family, and we were elated the moment she was born. Being first-time parents, we were not really sure what to expect with the arrival of our precious gift, but we were smitten.
The day after our daughter was born, she was admitted to the NICU for various complications. This admission was not anticipated whatsoever, so my husband and I were quite emotional and saddened. However, we remained positive, as we knew our daughter would be in great care.
On our first visit up to the NICU, we met our nurse, Melanie. It was a scary time for us as we watched our daughter struggle without knowing exactly the cause. I felt nauseous the first time I walked in and saw our baby covered in wires and hooked to monitors, and Melanie was able to put us at ease right away. She made it all feel "normal" somehow and extended her calm nature for us to borrow. I cried many, many tears in the NICU as we watched our baby go through her frightening "episodes," and Melanie was always handing me tissues and encouraging us that it would get better and we would one day go home as a family. When I felt hopeless, she lifted me up. When I needed a laugh, she provided an easygoing conversation. When I needed mom tips and advice, she had plenty to offer.
We had many phenomenal nurses while our daughter was in the NICU, but we spent most of our days with Melanie—to the point where I genuinely felt sad when she had a day off- ha! Melanie is an extremely gifted nurse with a wonderful bedside manner, and we truly think the world of her.