My son was born prematurely in September. He's my fourth baby, but first-ever NICU baby. Though he was a bigger/later preemie and hasn't had the scariest NICU experience, he has had issues and procedures like all the rest. Nothing about the NICU is "normal" after delivery. All of it is scary and feels so abnormal, unknown, and out of control. What I've learned is that your nurse really makes or breaks you as a NICU mom. My baby was born on a Friday afternoon and got sicker on Sunday morning. I'm really not kidding when I say I would have gone crazy and most likely spiraled into post-partum depression by Monday afternoon if Rita had not been assigned to be his nurse that morning. She had him for 4 days before she was off and has had him again as I write this. My prayer on her two off days was for her to have him again when she returned. Her nursing skills make those of others pale in comparison. She anticipates my son's needs like an extra Mama. Her ability and quickness to update me about his condition, care plan changes, etc., is amazing. I never feel out of the loop or confused. She goes above and beyond every day to make sure he has everything he needs and everything that will add comfort to his stay. There's nothing harder in my life than having to come and go and leave my newborn behind or watch as others care for him when I haven't had the medical training to be able to do so. But Rita found ways to include me in his care even when I couldn't hold or feed him. It might surprise you to know how much it means to a NICU mom to be allowed to be the extra set of hands to change a bed or help move around all the wires. Rita made the time to tell/show me how to do things so I could participate and not be cut out of my baby's first week of life. She offered me so much love and support, and hugs whenever I cried. She has loved my baby like he was her own, which has made an awful life experience bearable. She has cared for him so tenderly that I don't feel so broken when I leave. She truly is a gift from God and to our whole family. There's no way I could've avoided falling into PPD during this time without her. She is the purest example of what a nurse - really any medical staff or human being should be in an ideal world. Nothing about the NICU is ever easy, but having Rita as your child's nurse can make you temporarily forget the difficulty. She is our second miracle after the baby himself.