I was postpartum day two when Emily took over as my nurse. I had delivered via C-section and had not slept for two nights, so I was tired and very emotional.
Emily was one of the first people to see me on this day. I was having difficulty breastfeeding and my milk had not come in yet. Emily sat with me for almost every feed to help.
When she recognized that my daughter was not being satisfied when fed and it was causing me stress, we had a conversation about supplementing. She was the one who brought the use of donor milk and syringe feeding until my milk came in to the table. I was hesitant as I wanted to be able to feed my daughter. However, she was so reassuring and loving that I felt supported in making the decision and felt good about it. She helped me through the first couple of feeds and spoke with the charge nurse, advocating for me to have a nurse who had experience with syringe feedings.
At the end of her shift, she spoke with me about my discharge plans; making me think about what would be in the best interest of my daughter and me, as I worked to try to breastfeed. Throughout this emotional day, Emily provided comfort and was continuously there for me. Her compassion brought my mother and me to tears.
On the day of our discharge, Emily was working; however, she was not my nurse. She still made a point to come and see us before we left. It was amazing to have met Emily.
As a VCU nurse myself, I know nurses can be difficult patients, but I feel like she embraced me, not only as a fellow nurse but as a fellow mother. She is what STAR service is all about! I only hope that one day that I can truly thank her for all she did for me as there are no words.