I did not want to be induced. When you’re having your first child, especially as a type A planner, you want the vision in your head to come to fruition. During my 10 months of pregnancy, I had to constantly relinquish control. All I wanted was for the baby I prayed for to arrive safely in this world. However, when I can’t control the situation, I feel powerless to protect myself or my child. One of my greatest fears is the unknown. As a first-time mom, every day and every situation felt unknown. That being said, I walked into my induction not just horrified by all that could go wrong, but also concerned that I would not have a team of nurses supporting me. You never know who you'll meet or what you'll encounter, and unfortunately, everyone you meet has a horror story to share. I walked into Mercy shaking and anxious about what was to come. My initial nurse was incredible and kind. She had a sense of humor, was calm and collected, and always made sure to advocate for me. I’ll skip ahead to mention that all my nurses after delivery were beautiful souls as well. You can tell they love their job and genuinely want to care for you. I share this because, even though my nursing team during my 3-day stay was more than I could ask for, when I recount my birth story, there is one nurse who stands out above the rest.

I am confident that without her, my birth would have looked very different. I am also confident that I would not have had nearly as much peace and joy during my stay as I did. I had labored for many hours without relief on Pitocin. My contractions were incredibly close together and I was getting no relief. My first nurse had left and transitioned to the nurse this story is about: Karly. I was blacking out from the pain, vomiting, butt naked, and had nothing left to give. Karly knew where I was without me having to tell her a word. My best guess is that my first nurse had told her where I was and when she walked in, you could tell she had soaked in the scene and was making moves to help me. She convinced me to get into the bed and got me in a position to potentially push. At that point I’d been on Pitocin for 10 hours and had had a foley balloon. I was losing my vision, screaming through the never relenting agony, and praying that I was ready to have my baby. One of the only voices I heard through my pain was Karly coaching me to breathe, giving me encouragement, championing me through everything. I was aware of very little, but another thing I could feel and see with my vision coming in and out was Karly holding my monitor for my baby on my stomach. She had to contort her body all over, getting my bodily fluids all over her, to ensure we kept my baby’s heart rate constantly. She dedicated herself to my baby's life and sacrificed her comfort for over an hour going all around the bed, holding her body in incredibly uncomfortable positions to make sure she watched my baby like a hawk. You can never expect someone to care for your child the way you do, but Karly did. She proved this a million times over throughout her shift with me and beyond.

I pushed in that position and made no progress. I was losing my vision more and more, and my body was giving out. Eventually, Karly worked with my doctor to encourage me to get checked on my side. My doctor told me I had regressed, and my spirit broke. I began to beg for a C-section. At the time, I was so against an epidural. I desperately wanted to go naturally, but my body would not cooperate. Karly jumped in and immediately said that I had come way too far to give up and opt for a C-section, and my doctor agreed. I began vomiting and losing my vision again due to the pain. When I could catch my breath, I said I was suffering. Karly steadied me and looked me in the eyes. She told me that she couldn’t allow me to suffer. I finally asked for the epidural. Karly expedited that process and helped me eliminate any shame I had attached to the idea of the epidural. She turned off my Pitocin the second I told her I was suffering to try and alleviate my pain while we pivoted to the epidural. She gave me power over my body again; she gave me autonomy for a moment. After the epidural, her goal was for me to rest, but she ensured that during that period, while we were trying to get the Pitocin under control after the epidural, I was fully informed of how my daughter was doing. She was watching her stats like a hawk. I was shaking pretty violently, so she grabbed heated blankets for me nearly every time she entered my room. She did this for hours. She walked in during the last couple of hours of her shift and had a serious chat about my rights as a patient. She educated me on what was happening with me and my daughter medically, about our stability, and allowed me to know that if it came down to the possibility of a true necessary C-section, I would be able to make an informed decision. She then asked me if she could try some maneuvers to get things to move along to make a genuine effort to avoid a C-section. She talked to me quietly for over an hour while flipping me around and preparing me for what would come next. When her shift came to an end, she rushed to find her preferred nurse to ensure I had someone good to transition to. She gushed over me and my unborn daughter while giving her report in front of me to champion me to this nurse and how hard I had worked. She gave a full rundown of all I had been through, my birth plan, and her hopes for me before she grabbed my doctor to have me checked. I could tell that she was praying that I had fully dilated. When my doctor said I was at 10, Karly cheered. She nearly cried she was so elated for me.

Karly helped the nurse position me while my doctor went to gather the team and prepare herself. She guided me through the next steps in the process and helped get my husband situated to hold my leg. She assisted me with practice pushes, which ultimately led to more successful progress than anticipated. At this point, it was past her shift, but she was determined to help me bring my baby into the world. She coached me alongside my husband, and with only 20 minutes of pushing, I had my baby. She stayed to congratulate me and help me get settled, and then left. I was there for two more nights, and instead of taking advantage of any downtime, Karly came to check on me and my baby. At one point, I encountered a traumatic and abrasive dayshift nurse, and Karly made sure to advocate for me so that I would not have her for the remainder of my stay. She ensured that I felt comfortable, safe, and cared for. I felt more like a person to her than to anyone else. When you’re sleep-deprived, trying to be perfect for your tiny human, and scared of every move you make, someone like Karly is crucial. No one feels at peace when they can’t see the sun and haven’t been in their own environment for days, but Karly made the stay enjoyable when she came to see us. It meant the world to me, and I’ll never forget it.