I was pregnant and in labor with my first baby. I was incredibly nervous as I had never gone through labor before, and throughout my entire pregnancy, doctors were worried about different things with my baby. Immediately upon meeting Courtney, she brought with her a peaceful and calming presence. She was friendly, but in a way that was reassuring.

Unfortunately, a port on my epidural had become dislodged, so I felt contractions from 8-10cm. But Courtney jumped into action, calling the anesthesiologist and advocating for me to have adequate pain relief. She never left my side and comforted me until everything was fixed. Again, my anxiety was high as I was worried about the health of my baby- we had another slight complication when the baby’s heart rate kept dropping while I was pushing. Courtney again sprang into action; she flipped me from side to side during each contraction and would move around the monitors to find the baby’s heart rate.

In the bed, I had a hard time seeing my baby’s heart rate, so Courtney would say out loud, “It’s okay; she is at 136, 144, now back up to 160.” Over and over she did this, and she kept reassuring me that all would be well. When it came to pushing the baby girl out, she was the same way, incredibly encouraging. When the baby was born, she was having a bit of a hard time breathing- but again it didn’t even phase Courtney. She asked to take my baby and assessed her, all while assisting her to breathe better and communicating with the provider.

As well as explaining to my husband and me what was going on and reassuring us that everything would be alright. After birth, she took so much time cleaning the room, making me feel comfortable and clean, as well as educating and teaching my husband and me. She spent time coaching me on breastfeeding and would come in frequently to bring snacks, drinks, check on us, and make sure we were comfortable. She made my husband feel involved and safe to ask as many questions as he wanted.

The second night she took care of us, she took our daughter without hesitation to the nursery so we could get a couple of hours of sleep, and she came back with so many adorable pictures and memorabilia that I will treasure forever. Along with that good nap that we needed. Honestly, I could go on and on about the things that Courtney did. But her actions speak louder than words. I prayed before going into labor that I would have a wonderful nurse. I honestly don’t think that I would have had such a positive birth experience, and maybe not even a healthy baby if it wasn’t for her. I will forever remember her kind words and her actions to bring my baby girl into this world.

Note: This is Courtney's 2nd DAISY Award!