“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!

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