I came into Labor and Delivery from another hospital in the middle of the night. With the shift change, Chelsea Lead came in. We were admitted because of high blood pressure, and had to be checked out to see what we would need to do from there. Chelsea came in often, because our little babe just wanted to roll away from the heart monitor every time it came near. Each time she came in, she was reassuring, making us smile and laugh during a stressful time. She talked me through what our doctor was going to do if we had to deliver at 26 weeks, she talked me through what she’s seen in him and gave me the utmost faith that we were in the best hands. She could sense my fear, and continued to make sure my feelings were considered and that I felt good. She even watched the cameras to let me know when the doctor was coming because she knew how anxious I was to see him.
When we were transferred to postpartum and the doctor came to check on us again, she asked to see the ultrasound we were waiting for to see if we could be discharged. Seeing her face walk in with him brought me more peace. It felt as if she was just as relieved as we were.
Just days later when I ended up having to deliver our baby, despite not being my nurse that day, she made sure she was in my c section at 27+5 as my baby nurse and came to sit by my head when my husband got to see our baby for the first time, telling me how hard she was fighting. Despite losing our baby eight hours after birth, memories of labor and delivery are not all negative because of the care Chelsea provided.
I don’t feel, as a nurse, it was her job to go above and beyond the way she did. The way she made a first time, IVF mom and dad, so calm I know is the reason we were able to make it through that stay. She is an angel on earth and I’m so thankful we were in her care. I’m not even sure I’m capturing all the wonderful things she did to make our stay a little less scary, but I’m so thankful that she worked both the days we were there.