When asked about my experience giving birth as a first time "mom" it is impossible to give testimony without mentioning Michelle. My story begins in the early hours, what started as subtle contractions days before had now drastically escalated into relentless sweats, agonizing pain, and inconsolable anxiety.
Medical staff had come to evaluate my state and assured me that I was days away from giving birth, but I knew there was something off. Over the nest hours, tears had slowly turned to deafening cries of pain. In the most insignificant of seconds, my breath slipped away as the heart rate on the monitor disappeared. My baby's heart rate plummeted in an instant, nurses rushed into the room. Their faces depicted the gravity of the situation. For minutes the heart rate refused to recover, my confusion turned to desperation. Minutes passed before the heart rate would come back to a normal rhythm. At that moment I realized my baby's life was hanging on a fine thread.
Soon, I was moved to a different room. There I waited eagerly for any news of what was to come. Hours passed, I continued to feel the same agonizing pain second after second but my mind was centered on my baby's heart rate. With the change of shift, a new set of faces appeared in my room. Nonetheless, I continued to feel alone. In a random moment a gentle figure approached my bed, she introduced herself with a sweet, warm, and almost motherly tone of voice. Her name was Michelle DaCosta, she was my nurse. Michelle placed her hands on my abdomen, and gently assessed my contractions. Her hands felt warm, these hands were large in size but they felt so light and soft. She asked me how I felt, and if there was anything she could do to comfort me. She also assured me that she will take very good care of me and my baby. It may sound silly to describe these small details, but this made a huge difference for me. I felt like I could actually communicate with her, she had recognized that behind that green stained gown there was a patient who was not only in pain but was also truly afraid.
Michelle reassessed all the systems attached to me, each wire, tubing, sensor, and monitor. She inspected all things. More importantly, she continued to talk with me and often inquired about how I was doing. She pulled a chair next to my bed and shifted the monitor closer to her. It is hard to explain, I felt so protected, almost like she was a guardian looking after my baby. It would have been perfectly acceptable for Michelle just to have sat outside the room in a corner desk and look at the heartbeat data remotely. In fact, her decision to sit by my side shows the exceptional level of compassionate care, moral commitment, and kindness exemplary of the nursing profession.
For hours Michelle sat by my side, focused on the heart rate monitor, touching my abdomen to gauge my contractions, and always providing insight into my progress. The pattern in my baby's heart rate was becoming unstable once more. With each passing hour, periods of stability would be interrupted by sudden heart rate drops. To make matters worse, sensors tracking my contractions started to malfunction even after being replaced. In the midst of it all, Michelle remained calm and moved into manually monitoring each contraction. She gently moved my body into different positions and asked me to perform simple maneuvers to improve the birthing process.
It was now close to noontime and circumstances were turning for the worse once more. Distant declines in heart rate were now becoming very frequent with each drop increasing in duration. Doctors were slowly pushed to a wall with little options available. A pressing effort would have to be made to deliver the baby. While the medical staff was debating which route to take, Michelle took initiative and advocated on our behalf. Michelle respectfully stated that for the past hours while looking at the heart rate data she had been feeling and tracking each contraction. In fact, each contraction coincided with drops in the heart rate. Furthermore, she explained that the maneuvers she instructed me to perform helped to improve the orientation of the baby and set forth the proper anatomical arrangement for delivery. Michelle's recommendations were not taken lightly, doctors could see she commanded knowledge and experience on the subject. Michelle stood by my side as she participated in the discussion, always looking after the two of us.
A decision was made, the baby would be delivered as soon as possible. When I heard the decision, I felt relief but extremely frightened. Michelle grabbed my hand and she told me, "all will be fine, you will be meeting your baby girl soon". It was almost surreal to see Michelle's figure gracefully drifting across the room organizing furniture, setting equipment, finding supplies, never colliding with anybody. As I was placed in position for the delivery process, we initiated a tug of war, literally a "Tug of War". It is as funny now as it was then. My doctor and Michelle braided a bed sheet and asked me to pull with each contraction like children pull during a tug of war. The price at the end of the challenge would be my baby girl resting in my arms.
I met my daughter at 1:43 pm, after much sweat, blood, and screams she arrived a healthy little peapod with rosy cheeks and beautiful onyx hair. This journey was a true test of hope, I feel very grateful for the professional medical staff that looked after me, but most importantly I feel blessed to have had Michelle as my nurse. I witnessed in her performance what can only be described as the execution of the nursing practice at its full glory. Michelle in my eyes was a blessing from God, a beautiful DAISY basking in the prairie.