A dramatic change came to our lives on August 1st, 2008. I first set foot in a place I had never before heard of, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. My son decided he was coming into this world ten weeks before we had all expected him. Remembering my feelings of uneasiness and anxiety, I thought perhaps sharing what pertinent things I learned from the NICU would help ease the burdens of those in the same position.

First of all, it’s easy to be worried at the constancy of bells and alarms going off from the monitors of the NICU. I was sure that it meant my son’s heart had stopped or that his lungs had collapsed. I soon learned this was not remotely true.

The nurses use all these sounds to simply understand what is going on with all the different babies they are caring for at the time. The dings mean merely that the oxygen is slightly lower than they want it, or the IV fluid needs refilled. When the alarms are sounding for something that is serious, you will know by their sound of urgency and the quick response by several nurses to your baby’s aid.

Another concern I had was that the nurses go around to so many other babies and sometimes those babies have infections that are contagious, so why wouldn’t my son get them? The NICU is so sanitary, as I watched the nurses, they washed their hands constantly. Also, all around the NICU are bottles of hospital grade hand sanitizer that are free for visitors and nurses to use as much as they can.

Nurses are also very busy with having many different kids to watch, so don’t get discouraged if they don’t run over to you right away when you come. It’s good to let them know ahead of time when you can come the next day or so. Even if it’s not your same nurse everyday, they are great at passing messages along and then they know when to expect you.

Also, when they know when you are coming they can arrange for other people to come and help you with all that is available there. For example, you can set up with a lactation specialist to help you get breast milk for your baby. This is most useful since it has been proven that when babies are fed breast milk in the NICU they will go home much faster.

They have specialists that teach the parents different techniques that come with caring for a special child. NICU babies are different and need better attention. These specialist get to know you and your situation personally so that they can help you.

For example, they offer you Kangaroo Care where you can hold and bond with your baby, while also teaching them to hold their own temperature and control their own heart rate by taking the lead from you body. They teach baby massage techniques for bonding and calming of the baby. First aid is also very useful to learn while there.

The NICU can be more than an anxious experience. When all the tools of the NICU are utilized it can be a learning experience for you and your spouse. Taking advantage of all the opportunities not only gives you something to look forward too, which helps time move faster, you don’t feel so alone and overwhelmed when the baby does come home. Instead you will feel the appropriate feelings of joy and security in caring for your child in the safety of his own home.

Everyday, we are exposed to things that can cause us harm. It’s just a matter of time before we, or someone we know, sustains a laceration of some kind. When that time comes, knowing what to do can make a significant difference in the patient’s tolerance and perception of the injury. Having some basic skills can also greatly benefit the final outcome of the injury. Here are some important tips for the initial treatment and handling of minor lacerations.

Whether cut by an object, or simply falling on the ground, the first order of business is to control bleeding. A little bleeding isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it can help to push out dirt and bacteria. If the bleeding is pulse-like or streaming, in other words spurting out of the wound, then the wound is deep and immediate control of the loss of blood is important. A little bleeding isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it pushes out bacteria and foreign bodies that can cause an infection.

If you can, try to get out the bulk of the dirt and other foreign substances. Then apply direct pressure. You can use a clean cloth with an elastic wrap, or just have the patient hold a bunch of gauze firmly on the wound. This is the main treatment for the control of bleeding in any situation, and just about anywhere on the body.

Important! Don’t pull the dressing back to see if the bleeding has stopped, as this will only pull off the newly formed clot and make bleeding continue. If the dressing get saturated with blood, just put another right on top of the whole thing, and keep holding pressure! If bleeding is not controlled after 15 minutes, head to the ER.

When bleeding has stopped, you can look at the wound and decide whether you need to go to the ER. Stitches, if you need it, have to be done within 6-8 hours. How can you tell whether it needs stitches? In short, if the wound wants to stay open, or pop open with simple movement, it needs stitches!