If you work with babies, what do you do?

[OhImVisiblyOver25]

Considering training as a neonatal nurse. I love babies and have decided not to have anymore, but would still like to be around them.

Currebtly planning on starting mental health nurse training but there still time to make the switch.

The only thing that worries me, is being able to manage the emotions that come with caring for sick babies. Is this something that gets easier?

If you work with babies, what is your career as would love to consider any other options too!

Caring for neonates is just as much about caring for parents as babies.

Why did you choose mental health nursing? What specifically makes you want to make the switch?

Also what's your understanding of what a neonatal nurse does? Have you looked into HCA shifts in your local neonatal unit?

I’ve chosen mental health nursing as I’ve always worked in mental health and I would like to go into perinatal mental health. However I’m just keeping my options open!

I think it would be an idea to try and get some experience on a neonatal unit. Would you be able to care for extremely poorly babies, who have only just reached viability before being born? How would you feel performing chest compressions on a newborn? I am not a neonatal nurse, but I am a midwife and when babies die it can be overwhelmingly traumatic - I’m not trying to put you off, but give you an idea of the realities of caring for sick newborns.

I’ve spent a considerable amount of time in neonatal units with my own newborns. I might try and get some volunteer work but the decision needs to be made pretty quickly.

What about M&B MH unit?

Consider paeds nursing?

Neonatal nursing is very technical amd lots of time drawing up drugs, cross checking, helping with interventions on babies, adjusting complex machines. Am sure there's some baby cuddling and lots of family comms but you definitely need to be comfortable with maths and technical side of things.

Not a nurse tho

Also health visitor?

Very comfortable with maths, I have a degree in psychology which had a lot of maths and my access course was in maths and physics.

heslth visitor would be great but you have to be a nurse of midwife first.

I'm a neonatal nurse and I love it!

Obviously it can be challenging to care for sick babies but I always found compared to an adult ward the atmosphere is usually much more positive. Caring for babies who die on the neonatal unit is really challenging but it feels really special to help families build memories with their baby.

People often ask if we get 'attached' to babies, and if we spend lots of time with a baby and their family we obviously build a good relationship. But nothing is more rewarding than seeing the babies go home to their families!! Amazing

How about being a temporary foster carer specifically for babies that get taken from their mums at birth, until their more permanent foster/adoptive family is found? I don't know the technical term for this sorry

I can't even begin to get my head around how NICU nurses do it - when ds was in I remember one trainee nurse rushing to an incubator with its alarm going off. The experienced nurse was already dealing with another baby

Experienced nurse asked if the alarm baby was blue. Trainee said 'nope' and the experienced nurse carried on before popping over to attend to the alarm baby. Calm as anything

I was in awe - I honestly would be a mess running round and not being thorough with any of them!

Nanny, i mainly care for new babies up till 2 then move on. I love it. It’s so much fun. I usually put a routine in place, sleep train and wean etc,.

I would love to foster babies! But I already have my own non sleeping baby and I don’t think my husband could cope with another one!

I would love to work in a nursery maybe but the pay isn’t enough. I’m going to pursue nursing then see where it takes me!