I would like to recognize the labor and delivery nurse who assisted my family during my VBAC. Melissa Colon was beyond what I could have ever expected. My 1st delivery was very traumatic. I had an emergency caesarian after almost 30 hours of labor. With this labor, I came in very concerned about the coronavirus pandemic.
From the beginning, Melissa was very supportive and professional. She made me feel so comfortable in a situation that I could not control. At first, I was unsure if I would be taking an epidural, but she explained all the pros and cons of it and eased all of my fears. I was nervous that it would stall my labor, and she assured me that she would be by my side the entire time and would help me with changing positions so that my labor would not only not be stalled but sped up! I thought that she would just offer me the peanut ball. She went above and beyond my expectations. She came in so many times that I lost count and constantly moved me and rolled me so that the baby was moving down.
During the epidural, she was more than comforting. She held my hands, talked me through the procedure, supported me when I started crying from fear, talked me through my contractions during the epidural, and never once made me feel dramatic or burdensome. She treated me like I was one of her own family members, and I don't even know if she knew how important she was to me. When my baby began getting distressed, Melissa knew exactly what to do to keep me going so that I could continue with my dreams of having a VBAC. I had given up in my head, but with her words of comfort and constant support, and constant monitoring and moving positions, my baby descended even faster, and about an hour later it was time to push.
My doctor was away, and I began to feel nervous, and Melissa must have known because she picked up on my cues and made me feel safe and comfortable. She actually was cleared by the doctor to allow me to start pushing. She was there while I started pushing, and after the baby began crowning, the rest of the team was called over and she continued to be the one guiding me through pushes. She let me feel the baby's head, she made it seem so easy and before I knew it, she actually delivered my baby.
After the delivery, she still remained as attentive. She helped me get cleaned, helped me with the care of my wound, and got me into the next room. To my shock, before I could even explain what happened, Melissa spoke on my behalf to the next team of nurses on my delivery, my previous delivery, and why I couldn't breastfeed before. I was so shocked to hear her hit every point as if it was her own delivery. Every concern I had, she remembered and made sure that I was cared for. She did not have to do any of that, she could have treated me like a regular patient, but to me, she treated me like a superstar. I am beyond grateful that she was the one to deliver my baby. I don't know if she will ever truly know the impact, she had on me and my family, and how I will remember that day. She will always in my mind, be the reason I successfully VBACed my baby.
Thank you so much Melissa Colon for going above and beyond to take care of me. Your care is not what I expected, it's more than I could have ever imagined receiving. It was more than I even expected from my own doctors. I hope you know how special you made me feel and know that you made my dreams a reality. I am forever grateful that god crossed our paths.