What I Learned in the NICU That Changed How I Lead and Work Today

I never thought I’d spend over a month in the hospital while pregnant. I never imagined I’d develop pre-eclampsia, or that my son, Everest, would arrive two months early and spend his first four weeks in the NICU.

But that’s exactly what happened.

I didn’t leave that experience the same. And I don’t lead or work the same either.

In those weeks, two women changed my life:

👩⚕️ Dr. Hannah Reiser at UCLA, who delivered Everest and guided me through every unpredictable twist with clarity and strength.

🧑🍼 Melody Le, a NICU nurse who cared for Everest like he was her own, and cared for me when I didn’t even realize I needed it.

They weren’t just “doing their jobs.” They shaped the beginning of my son’s life and protected mine.

It made me ask myself: Why do we wait until a crisis to acknowledge the people who hold our lives together?

As professionals, we’re quick to applaud big wins, bold leadership, standout performance. But rarely do we talk about the invisible labor that makes those wins possible - like compassionate healthcare, trauma-informed care, and support systems that help people survive before they thrive.

We don’t just need better healthcare benefits. We need better recognition for the people behind them.

We need workplace cultures that understand health isn’t separate from performance - it’s the foundation of it.

We need leaders who ask, who helped you get here? and actually pause to listen.

I still carry the strength of those early days with me. I show up differently at work because of it - with more urgency, more compassion, and a sharper sense of what really matters.

To Dr. Reiser and Melody - you are a permanent part of my story. Thank you.

And to every healthcare worker, caretaker, and unsung hero reading this: what you do is never “just your job.” You’re building the future in real time, one patient, one family, one quiet moment at a time.

#ThoughtLeadership #MaternalHealth #NICUAwareness #HealthcareWorkers #PreeclampsiaAwareness #WorkingMoms #CareerAndCaregiving #LeadershipWithCompassion #FutureOfWork #InvisibleLabor #EmployeeWellbeing #LinkedInMoms #TeamHuman