“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.”  --Abigail Adams

“All of the top achievers I know are life-long learners. Looking for new skills, insights, and ideas. If they're not learning, they're not growing... not moving toward excellence.” --Denis Waitley

There are a lot of quotations about the importance of learning and numerous books on the best ways to go about it.  What it comes down to is that learning takes place every day of our lives….if we are looking for it!  As a new parent, you may be learning to interpret the cues that your baby is using to communicate with you.  As a NICU parent, you may be learning about a specific medical condition or treatment that your baby is going through.  Do not be afraid to ask questions!  When we stop asking “why” or “how”, learning stops.

As health care providers, we are all still learning too.  Technology changes, health care advances….these all change what we know and what we think we know.  This week, I was blessed to take part in a RNC Review Course that was fantastic.  Isn’t it great to know that the RNs taking care of your baby(ies) are seeking out knowledge and looking to stay in the forefront of neonatal medicine? 

(There were 10 RNs from out unit that attended the review course this week and will be completing certification exams in High risk Neonatal Nursing soon!  Wow!) 

 “Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience.”  --Denis Waitley

“The wisest mind has something yet to learn.” --George Santayana

Email me with your thoughts, concerns, or questions.  I’d love to hear from you.

Keep Learning!

Julie Hudson, BSN, RN
NCBH NICU  

Summer is officially over for most school-age children this week…..parents cheer and children groan.  For NICU parents with other school-age children at home, this can be an extra busy time.  In the NICU, we understand this and want to encourage you and help you.  Please do not stress about time-tables.  Talk to your baby(ies) nurses.  We want to work with you and can often be flexible about feeding schedules, etc.  We understand that you may have different time obligations this time of year and we will try our best to work with you so that you can spend quality time with your baby(ies).

Also, keep in mind the importance of hand hygiene and being careful about exposing your NICU baby(ies) to all of the “bugs” that school-age children tend to bring home from school!

Email me with your thoughts, concerns, or questions on this topic.  I’d love to hear from you.

Julie Hudson, BSN, RN
NCBH NICU  

I have been writing a paper this week on necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a common and life-threatening gastrointestinal disease that occurs mostly in premature infants.  While researching the topic, I was reminded over and over again of the importance of breast milk and I thought I would share some information with you.

Lafeber, Westerbeek,  Van den Berg,  Fetter, and Van Elburg (2008) found that breast milk offers some protective measures against NEC by stimulating the growth of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus. These are both types of ‘good’ bacteria that live in the gut of healthy infants.

Another study found that NEC developed six times more in neonates who were formula fed and 3.5 times more in infants fed formula and breast milk combined than in those fed breast milk alone (Thompson & Bizzarro, 2008).

What a great reason to provide breastmilk for your baby, especially if your baby is a preemie!  The benefits of breastmilk are numerous (See our Lactation page for more info) and in most cases, it is the best thing for your baby.  Please talk to your baby’s physician, nurse, or a Lactation Consultant today about providing breast milk or the use of Donor Expressed Breastmilk (DEBM).

Email me with your thoughts, concerns, or questions on this topic.  I’d love to hear from you.

Happy Pumping!

Julie Hudson, BSN, RN
NCBH NICU  

This week, I just wanted to share some encouraging words with all the NICU families out there:
“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world. Someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.”   ~Tom Bodett

If you have a baby (or babies) in the NICU, then you have all 3 of these things. 

Scripture even tells us:  “And thou shalt be secure because there is hope.”  (Job 11:18).

Hope is what sometimes gets you through the hard days and keeps you going even when it doesn’t seem like you have anything left to give.  But, you still may have to wait because some things take time. Remember…..
“Patience is the art of Hoping.”  ~Vauvenargues 

Hope these words encourage you this week….as you wait and hope!

If you have an encouraging word for other NICU families, please drop me an email by clicking on my name below.

Julie Hudson, BSN, RN
NCBH NICU  

     This week, I have been on the other side of hospital life…my grandfather has been in critical condition following cardiac bypass.  It has been a difficult time for our family, full of lots of emotions - stress, worry, etc.  Our family will reflect happily on the staff that have contributed to his care, and we will especially remember the ones who took the time to talk, explain procedures, and who spoke and acted kindly to my grandfather.
     In the NICU, the story is similar.  You will always remember those of us who have touched your child and contributed to his or her health.  We hope that those memories are fond ones and that we have been there to not only nurture your little one, but to offer support and kindness to you and your family.
     If you have a NICU story to share or a word of advice for other NICU parents or NICU staff, please email me by clicking on my name below.  I would love to include your ideas for dealing with NICU life.

Julie Hudson, BSN, RN
NCBH NICU   

Summertime Fun Time!

Join North Central Baptist Hospital for the 5th Annual Summer Celebration. 

Your kids will love the fun activities, and you'll enjoy informative exhibits.

- FREE t-shirt for the first 200 attendees who donate back-to-school supplies
- Great giveaway items from area businesses
- FREE food and refreshments
- Local physicians with FREE family health and wellness information
- Asthma education
- Learn about the Spirit of Women program
- Games, crafts and much, much more!

When:  Saturday, August 7th

Time:  9 am to noon

Location:  North Central Baptist Hospital's Atrium Lobby
                    520 Madison Oak Drive
                    San Antonio, TX  78258

For more information, please call (210) 297-7005

According to the CDC, more than a ½ million babies are born prematurely each year in the United States…that is estimated to be 1 in 8.[1]  This is a staggering statistic, however, recently released numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that premature births have decreased nationwide by 4% from 2006-2008!  This is the first time our country has seen a decline in 30 years.[2] 
That means we are making progress in the fight toward healthy pregnancies and deliveries, but we still have a long way to go.  Check out the latest statistics and information on premature babies here on our NICU Helpful Links page and for Moms-to-be, check out the Prenatal Care page.If you have questions, comments, or a story to share, please email me by clicking on my name below.   

Have you seen our Success Stories page?  We just added a new story written by one of our NICU graduate moms.  Be sure to see his adorable “before-and-after” photos too!  Stories like Lil Bill’s are what make our job in the NICU so great.  We love what we do and we form a special bond with the families that come through our doors.

We are planning to update the Success Stories page with more photos and stories soon, but we could always use more.  If you are one of our graduate families, we would love to include your NICU story on our website!  Please email me your story and photos by clicking on my name below.   

Julie Hudson, BSN, RN
NCBH NICU   

I am writing this while sitting in the SA Airport waiting for a flight to the International Interdisciplinary Expo of Health-Related Research in El Paso, Texas.  I am presenting a poster on discharge teaching tools in the NICU.  Probably doesn’t sound fun to you, but it is one of many attempts to make our NICU better!  Conferences and presentations are a way that the NICU staff, hospital administrators, and Neonatologists stay on top of the latest research related to “best practices” or “evidence-based practices”.…it is also an opportunity for us to show the great things that we do at NCBH.

You can have confidence that we are committed to ensuring that our NICU is always providing the best possible care for you and your family!

If you have a great NICU story or experience to share, please email me (by clicking on my name below).  I would like to hear from you.

Julie Hudson, BSN, RN
NCBH NICU  

We had so much fun this past weekend at the 2^nd Annual NICU Reunion!  There was a great turnout and we loved having the chance to catch-up with all the families and graduates.  All of the kids looked great and it was so much fun to watch them walking, running, and playing!

Our Memory Box was full and I am super-excited to see what notes and pictures were left there for us!  Thank you to all of you who left a special note to the staff…it makes our day to know that we were able to touch your lives in a special way.

For those of you who did not receive your invitation this year, please be sure to update your contact information with us…..we got a lot of returned invitations.  We hope to see everyone next year!  Check out the Baptist Moms and Kids website homepage for a link to the pictures taken at the event and check our Success Stories page for updates soon.

If you have a great NICU story or experience to share, please email me (by clicking on my name below).  I would like to hear from you.

Julie Hudson, BSN, RN
NCBH NICU