I was dilated to at least 7 cm and was getting ready to have a VBAC - 9 years later. I never got past 2 cm with my first child, so the labor progression and pushing stage was something I had never experienced. As a nurse myself, it is never easy being on the other side of patient care, but my nurse was by my side every step of the way. Alexis was caring and compassionate, truly living the SBL standards. I had all the confidence in her for this to be a successful delivery. She was polite and kind; everything I expected out of my labor nurse, and so much more.
Labor went well. I had an 8 lb. 14 oz. baby boy, one of the happiest moments of my life. I never thought moments later would be the scariest moment of my life. I was attempting to breastfeed for the first time, which can be a struggle with a newborn, so I thought nothing of it. However, Alexis was still cleaning up in the room from delivery and came and grabbed him from me. She said, "Let me check him out." After assessing him, she took him to a Nurse Practitioner who also evaluated him and ordered some tests and then contacted Carle NICU.
It was snowing that day, so they had to take the ground route up north. My baby ended up having a pneumothorax. Alexis heard what I thought was a normal baby sound, grunting, that alerted her. Without her quick thinking and expert judgment, the outcome could have been much different. We are ever thankful for our labor nurse and the rest of the SBL staff for taking excellent care of our precious baby boy.