The Power Struggle
The NICU nurses were wonderful and knowledgable; but after about a week or so of being a parent on the back burner, an unanticipated power struggle began.
Basic care issues such as bathing and dressing were done by the nursing staff as a part of their routine; although I very much wanted to do these things for my little girl, at first, I would arrive only to find her already diapered and dressed. I had figured that since I was visiting every three hours to feed her, they would know to save these things for me.  Sometimes they would already have started her tube feeding before I got there, or started a bottle (in the early days when she was getting bottles!)  

I had to remember that they often switched nurses during the day. Sometimes as often as every four hours Sarah had a different nurse! So my preferences weren't passed along. We eventually put a sign on Sarah's isolette to save these chores for me; but it didn't always mean that would happen!

One time I walked in to find her receiving formula instead of the gallons of breast milk I had in the freezer for her!  Sometimes I just felt totally incompetent as a mom. Most of the time, though, the nurses were more than helpful. It just depended on 'who you got'.

 
I even had the attending doctor one week tell me to go ahead and go back to work, the nurses could take care of Sarah just fine. Like she didn't even need her mommy! And this was when I was nursing her several times a day!
I do respect the talent and experience of the NICU staff. It's just that I wish there had been more continuity of care. (There was none.) And it made me nervous to have so many nurses taking care of her that weren't familiar with working in that unit.
We're looking forward to going to the annual reunion! It will be nice for everyone to see how big Sarah will be. In the end, they did a good job with her, and I know they always had her best interests in mind.