Bittersweet: What it's like working with babies in the NICU at UNC REX
Dr. Marie Ambroise Thigpen has a thing for babies.
Dr. Ambroise Thigpen, who has been a neonatologist since 2005, joined UNC REX hospital in 2013. She became interested in neonatology after researching infant vision in her undergraduate years at Harvard.
In 2014, she was appointed medical director when the hospital's special care nursery became a neonatal intensive care unit, allowing it to care for younger babies that had to be sent to UNC in the past.
In an interview with WRAL News, Dr. Ambroise Thigpen said it's not hard to guess what drew her to the field.
“I have a whole job where I can just take care of babies," she laughed.
Unlike other doctors, who mainly deal with disease, Dr. Ambroise Thigpen said taking care of preemies means working with their physiology in addition to their pathology.
"We manage many conditions solely because a baby is born too early," she said.
On average, a baby born at 27 weeks stays in the hospital for two months until they’re physically mature enough to leave.
“Sometimes it takes a little bit of time, and that’s okay," Dr. Ambroise Thigpen. "Babies are sturdy and resilient despite how small they are."
The best part of the job is watching babies get better and go home, Dr. Ambroise Thigpen said, but it's bittersweet to say goodbye. The NICU at UNC REX is like a family, and parents often stay in touch with the staff and send photos.
“It’s nice to see them grow,” Dr. Ambroise Thigpen said. “They really become part of the family.”
Dr. Ambroise Thigpen said, in her profession, it's essential to take care of parents so they can care for their newborn babies with confidence. That may mean involving getting an OB-GYN if a mother experiences post-partum depression, encouraging parents to hold their babies or providing parents with the resources they need to care for preemies.
“Not only are we taking care of the baby – we’re taking care of the family,” she said.
In a society focused on pregnancy, childbirth and the exciting moments that come when parents take a baby home, little attention is given to babies that stay at the hospital for weeks or months and the sadness and stress it brings parents.
Dr. Ambroise Thigpen said her staff tries to make the day that Mom and Dad are discharged while their baby stays as stress-free as possible.
"We're a very close-knit team,” she said. “We always pull together to help the families.”
Exciting changes are ahead for children treated at UNC REX. The hospital opened a new pediatrics unit earlier this year and the NICU continues to grow.
Dr. Ambroise Thigpen said her team has seen success with their volunteer-based cuddling program, which provides preemie babies with human contact when their parents can't be at the hospital.
“All of us would hold them all day if we could, but we can’t do that all the time," Dr. Ambroise Thigpen said.
Dr. Ambroise Thigpen has two of her own "babies" at home -- who are now 8 and 10.
It's a busy job, Dr. Ambroise Thigpen said, joking that 99% of her job is patient care and 20% of her job is paperwork. But with dedicated parents and families, hardworking staff and the kindness of volunteers, it's well worth it.
“I’m proud of our whole team," Dr. Ambroise Thigpen said.
