I was admitted to Union Hospital's Labor and Delivery Unit for the birth of my first child. There is one particular nurse that I will remember forever. As we were shown to our labor room, we were introduced to Becky, who would be our nurse for the day. From the moment my husband and I met Becky, I knew that we were in good hands. She was warm, caring, and always quick to respond. I had planned for a natural childbirth but at a certain point the contractions were too intense and I opted for an epidural. My husband pushed the call button and before we knew it Becky was in the room and calling the anesthesiologist to administer the epidural. I was devastated and in pain and Becky calmly reassured me that opting for the epidural was nothing to be ashamed of. This was calming to me, especially as a first-time mom who had no idea what to expect out of childbirth.
Becky proved to be a DAISY Nurse long before I even began pushing, but it was the moments when my delivery began to take a turn for the worse that I believe proved her true character. After a few minutes of pushing, I began to hemorrhage and it was determined that an emergency C-section was the best option for the safety of me and the baby. Becky was by my side during the entire preparation. At 5:32 pm, my daughter was born. I don't remember much about the C-section except for being on the operating table for what seemed like an eternity and asking if the baby and I would be ok. Once I heard my daughter's cries, I was relieved but knew I was not yet out of the woods. The doctor continued to operate on me after they took the baby to meet my husband. I'm not sure how long I was in the operating room after she was taken out, but my husband estimates it was about an hour. When I was finally closed up and getting cleaned up, Becky did something that I will never forget. She came to my head and put her forehead against mine. I could tell she was shaken by the way my delivery turned out. I don't remember her exact words, but she apologized to me for not being able to have the delivery that I had hoped for and for everything I had to go through (even though none of it was anyone's fault).
Becky continued to stay by my side in the recovery room, even though it was probably well after her shift ended. She made sure that I transitioned to my night nurses okay and that I was okay before she finally left to do her charting for the day. The next day, Becky even came in to check on me and the baby while she was on her shift at the desk.
I will never forget Becky for her kindness, compassion, and empathy for as long as I live. Even though my labor and delivery are something that will stick with me forever, and not in a good way, I will always remain confident that I was in the best hands with Becky and the team at Union Hospital.