Peter Hanssen's NICU Story

Louise Hanssen knows the GBMC NICU inside and out. As a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, she spends her days guiding families through some of the most overwhelming moments of their lives—reminding them to eat, to sleep, to take things one day at a time.

But on a Monday night last August, after finishing a shift in the very same NICU, Louise went home, laid down to close her eyes—and her water broke at 31 weeks and 6 days. She quickly returned to the hospital with a beach towel wrapped around her waist and was greeted in the lobby by the same team she’d given sign-out to just two hours earlier.

This time, she wasn’t the provider. She was the mom.

Louise and her husband Michael have been married since 2018. They grew up together in Towson and have been friends since they were 14. Peter is their youngest, joining big sister Lucy (now 6), big brother Hank (4), and the family dog Frank.

A Scary First Night

That first night was frightening. Peter’s heart rate kept dropping, and the team prepared multiple times for a possible emergency C-section. But as medications kicked in, everything calmed down. Louise made sure Michael communicated all his questions—Where would he be if a STAT C-section happened? Does he go with the baby to the NICU or stay with her? Having those answers gave him a sense of control.

After that, it became a waiting game—medication to slow labor while steroids worked on Peter’s lungs and antibiotics helped prevent infection. But a waiting game gets complicated when you have two young children, a dog, and full-time jobs. Michael balanced work, childcare logistics, and being present at the hospital. Family and friends helped with Lucy and Hank’s transportation and routines.

Meanwhile, Louise’s work family showed up in every way imaginable—decorating her room with twinkle lights, making sure she showered and ate every day. Her L&D nurse stayed with her each day and even stayed late when labor picked up and Peter decided it was time.

A Delivery to Remember

Even though the delivery was urgent, the team made every moment count. Louise and Michael hadn’t learned the gender of any of their children beforehand, and the team made it possible for Michael to announce the news himself—even in the operating room. They updated Louise on every milestone in real time: when Peter received CPAP, when he cried for the first time, when he voided, how much he weighed.

Peter was brought to Louise’s face on some oxygen so she could give him a kiss before he was transported to the NICU. The team made sure Michael knew he had the option to go with Peter or stay with Louise in the OR.

“It was as smooth as it could have been,” Louise says. “And I am forever grateful.”

Despite Louise’s deep expertise in neonatal care, the GBMC L&D and NICU teams treated her as if she had no NICU experience at all—making sure both she and Michael were thoroughly informed and educated on everything. That meant the world to their family.

Life Doesn’t Stop

Life at home didn’t pause for the NICU stay. Lucy, then 4, was confused—why wasn’t Mommy home? Why weren’t Mommy or Daddy putting them to bed? Michael wrestled with how much paternity leave to save. The family felt torn between being with Peter and being with their older children at home.

Louise communicated those emotions with the NICU team and they reassured them that Peter was loved and cared for. Nurses held him and talked to him when his parents couldn’t be there. They called with updates at night and with any critical changes.

Milestones & Coming Home

The family celebrated every victory: when Peter came off CPAP, the first time he tasted breast milk, his first bath, and the day his feeding tube came out.

Today, Peter is a wonderful, thriving toddler who loves playing with his older siblings, swinging outside, and going on walks with Frank. Louise is back at work doing what she does best—caring for NICU families with an even deeper understanding of what it means to be on the other side.

“I remind families that a NICU stay is never part of anyone’s birth plan,” she says. “But some things are out of our control. What we can control is making sure every family feels loved, informed, and supported.”

Of her NICU team, Louise says simply: “They were Peter’s first friends—true angels. They held our family’s hands through some dark days and helped us celebrate the joyful times. We cannot thank them enough.”

Support the NICU & Join Peter and his family at the Father's Day 5K & 1 Mile Fun Walk!