Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Nursing Moms

Nope. I'm not going to talk about breastfeeding today.  I am going to talk about nurses who are moms.  Nursing school was great preparation for the trials and tribulations of motherhood.  I know how much blood is too much.  I don't freak out when kids start vomiting or spike a fever.(although I do wish I had a housekeeping department to deal with the sheets!)  I learned how to get a baby on a decent sleep routine by working nights on a pediatric ward. (I also learned how to chart with my right hand while feeding a baby a bottle with my left--great practice for one-handed parenting!) I rarely get throw up on me since I can spot the signs a mile away and can easily dodge it.

I am sure my kids would tell you that having a mom who used to be a nurse is less than awesome.  You see, I have little to no sympathy for a booboo. No one can pretend to be sick to get out of school around here.  I need to see projectile vomit or a fever.  Sniffles?  Bye bye.  Vague complaint of tummy ache? Walk it off.

My kids love climbing on things and then falling off.  The first time Emmett did that he bit his lip.  It's a good thing I know from experience that lips tend to gush so I quickly picked him up and gave him a freezie to suck on.  The bleeding stopped in no time.  One morning Richard tripped and fell and split his eyebrow on a door frame.  I didn't want him taking up time in the Emergency Room for something not urgent  so I cleaned him up and taped the wound closed so he could wait for walk-in to open to get sutures.  When the time came to have them taken out, I did it. 

I am sure my friends get tired of me harping about the importance of vaccinating their kids, but unless you have seen truly sick people, you have no idea how crucial it is.  Also, woe is the civilian friend along on a play date with two or more nurses.  We have no filters for what is too gross to talk about.  Even though it has been years since I've donned scrubs and stethoscope, my gross filter has not re calibrated and I still love to hear a little shop talk from time to time.

So, this Nurses' week spare a thought for the brave souls who parent patients all day and then have to have patience to pull another shift with their own brood when they get home.

1 comment:

Andria Crowjoy said...

Sing it sister! Having spent so much time in ERs lately my respect for nurses, aides, orderlies, housekeeping et al has increased from abundant to infinite.

Also, feel free to tell me gross things. Combine motherhood with homesteading and I don't think there's much that can shake me from a pure-disgust standpoint. I still wretch from picking up poop, but it doesn't phase me that I do. :)