To the amazing nurse who held my hand, braided my hair, and stood by me in both the scariest and happiest moments of my life, thank you. ​

 When I think about my labor and delivery experience, I really want to thank Alyssa. It brings tears to my eyes just to write this because I'm so incredibly grateful for how kind, compassionate, and supportive she was throughout the whole experience.

By the time her shift started at 7 p.m., I was pretty uncomfortable with my contractions and working hard through them. Alyssa did not leave my side for more than five minutes from the moment she came on until I delivered. She massaged my back, encouraged me, and she listened to me. When I started having a lot of bleeding, she heard my concerns and ensured that the provider came to the room to assess.

She continued to advocate for me as my baby's heart rate tracing declined. We tried everything to help it improve, all the position changes, fluid boluses, and an amnioinfusion. I felt safe in her care and knew she would have done anything to help my baby and me. I'm forever grateful for her amazing attitude. ​ Being a nurse caring for people is a huge part of the job, and as a nurse myself, I understand that. However, being a patient can be scary, and you feel so vulnerable, especially when it's not just your life on the line.

Experiencing what it feels like to be a patient whose nurse went above and beyond for them, in every way, was really incredible. I am truly thankful to Alyssa for all she did that April night. She worked tirelessly, and even though the outcome was different than what we had hoped (a c-section), at the end of the day, my baby and I were together and healthy.