I was in the labor and delivery unit from Sunday, until I gave birth on Tuesday morning. All of the nurses were great, but I feel very lucky to have had Emily Krause as my nurse Monday evening into Tuesday morning. Emily was extremely friendly and positive, always by my side throughout the evening whenever I needed anything. I had been hoping for a vaginal delivery, but due to certain circumstances it was looking as though I was going to have a “stalled” labor. This is where I believe Emily truly shined. She knew that I wanted a vaginal delivery, and worked tirelessly throughout the night to try numerous positions to help progress cervical dilation. The OB informed me, and my nurse, that she would give me 30 more minutes or else I would need to have a c-section. This was slightly upsetting for me, but I was exhausted and felt comfortable with the doctor’s decision. 

Emily did not skip a beat and continued working with me through positions until the doctor returned and informed me that I could deliver the baby vaginally. It felt like from that moment, Emily didn’t leave my side and coached me through active labor. She coached me through various positions to narrow down exactly what would make it the easiest delivery for me, always listening to my feedback and making sure I was comfortable. I strongly believe that if it weren’t for Emily’s efforts, I likely would have had to have a c-section. 

Emily’s shift ended before the delivery, and it felt like my nurse did all that work without getting the reward of seeing me deliver a completely healthy baby. However, later that day, Emily somehow found time during the next shift to visit me and my baby in the mother and baby unit. That was just another way that Emily went above and beyond to show that … really cared. Any patient would be lucky to have Emily as their nurse because she is incredibly knowledgeable about labor, a calming presence, and clearly someone who really cares about her patients.