A Thank You Letter to My NICU Nurses || Motherhood in May

As 3.5 years pass, I can still remember Oliver’s birth day like it was yesterday. I never fully understood the responsibility of a nurse. I’m spending today writing a Thank You Letter to my NICU Nurses.

I never imagined I would be a NICU Mama.

Our sweet Oliver was delivered through an Emergency C Section and headed straight to the NICU. My husband followed while I was finishing in the operating room.

Talk about anxiety. I saw Oliver for a mere second before they rolled him away.

It was a few hours later before they let me go see Oliver in the NICU. I forced the nurses and my husband to put me in a wheelchair and see my baby.

As we arrived, Oliver was in his own little cubicle and the nurses personalized his room with his name.

I will never forget the sacrifices they made to care for my son. 3.5 years later, and I can still remember it like it was yesterday.

My hats are off to the ladies who took such great care of my family. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Dear NICU nurses;

Thank you for making Oliver’s room feel like home.

It warmed my heart to know he was welcomed in the NICU and not just another infant.

Thank you for your incredible intelligence in caring for premature infants.

You’ve spent your time educating yourself and it has paid off, over and over again.

Thank you for helping me learn how to hold my son and manage the wires that were all over his tiny body.

I can’t tell you how overwhelming everything was in the beginning. I longed to hold my son, but the wires were so intimidating. You found a way to make us comfortable.

Thank you for keeping my chair right next to his cradle so I can continue to heal while holding his hand.

After a traumatic experience, my son and I were both healing. You gave us the comfort of sitting next to each other.

Thank you for telling me to give myself some rest so I can properly care for my son.

Emergency C section is no joke. I don’t think I even realized how intense the surgery was until a few weeks later. I knew I could count on you and the round of nurses to care for my son while I recovered.

Thank you for answering my questions.

There is so much I don’t know, because I didn’t expect to be here. My questions were overflowing and you answered them all. As NICU nurses, your education and insight are key.

Thank you for having faith in my family.

Whether you have faith or not, you sat by my side and praised every accomplishment. Every ounce of breastmilk I produced and every ounce Oliver gained. You were our light in a dark tunnel.

Thank you for giving us privacy.

We had numerous visitors, which we were thankful and blessed to see. But there were also times when we needed to be alone with Oliver. Thank you for protecting our family, and giving us privacy from others.

Thank you for working endless hours.

As NICU nurses, you would say ‘that’s part of the job’ but it is no easy task to work night shifts. Every single one of you managed to stay active and alert at 3am.

Thank you for sacrificing time with your family, so you can help mine.

Not only do you sacrifice time with your family, but also time with other patients and time for yourself.

Thank you for listening to me.

And above all, Thank you for your devoted time and effort in keeping my son alive. I owe everything to you, at a time when my husband was torn between being by my side and our sons. You were able to make sure Oliver felt at home and was taken care of.