My wife and I wanted to write to both express our thanks and gratitude to Gabriela Pinedo in Labor and Delivery for her unbelievable kindness, care, patience, humor and professionalism during the birth of our first child. E had labored for approximately 18 hours overnight before starting to push in the morning, around the same time there was a shift change and we met Gaby and a nursing student that was shadowing her. From the moment she joined us we were comforted with her confidence, poise and calm, as evidenced by her cheering, support and advocacy during my wife's 6.5 hours of exhaustive pushing.
Almost immediately after our daughter was born and during placental expulsion, E began a severe hemorrhage due to a retained placenta. Like turning off a light, the feeling of calm in the delivery room immediately shifted to one of serious concern. Despite what must have been an exhausting morning for her as well, Gaby immediately sprang into action, working hand in hand with our doctor, to assess and prep E for emergency surgery, all while attempting to keep me and our newborn baby girl as calm as possible.
After a successful surgery through which she held E's hand the whole time, Gaby assisted us with our first skin to skin contact and breastfeeding and continued to follow up with us during the recovery process, even locating us the next day to return some belongings that were misplaced in the rush to the operating room.
Thank you Gaby, for going above and beyond the call of duty in the care you provided to us while acting as a leader and steward for what was the most beautiful and difficult experience of our lives. Without you it would have been a little less so.