Birth is vulnerable, especially when it's your first baby. I walked in, cognizant of my privacy, and felt bashful. Every step along the way, I felt that Gabrielle Dixon honored my body and autonomy. She asked for my consent before touching me and diligently explained what she was doing and why. In doing so, Gabi established an environment of trust and comfort. My fears and bashfulness quickly evaporated. Because of Gabi, I felt that I could labor freely, openly, and without judgment. I will forever be grateful for how attentive and nurturing she was during my birth. Gabi was the champion of my birth preferences and communicated them with the other nurses so everyone was on the same page.
I am grateful that she checked in on my pain without being suggestive of what I should do next. This made me feel in control of my labor, and it also made me feel comfortable changing my mind. When I did decide to get an epidural, I reached the most challenging part of my labor. I wasn’t sure if it would be possible to sit still. This became especially difficult as it took the doctors two attempts to successfully thread the catheter in place. I asked my partner to tell me when the peak of the contractions occurred so that I would know when they were halfway over. The monitor that tracks my contractions wasn’t even on, which is something I only realized after the birth. My partner was in sync with my labor and would tell me when the contractions were halfway through (afterward, he revealed that he was guessing), but each time, Gabi confirmed it. Gabi’s reinforcement made it more real to me and helped me cope with the pain. After my baby was born, Gabi helped me breastfeed for the first time. Her guidance was comforting and effective. She taught me how to change a diaper and hold my baby. Every time Gabi was around, I knew that my baby was safe and being looked after by a nurse who was extremely competent, knowledgeable, and gentle. This was especially comforting to me, even when my baby was diagnosed with transient tachypnea. I never once had the sense that Gabi was new to nursing. I only found this out as we got to know each other. I would not change one moment or second of my birth experience. Gabi was a major player in making this true. Gabi is someone I will always be grateful for and will never forget. However, I was ready and grateful to go home with my baby, though I miss having Gabi around. She is an extremely special person and possesses traits that you hope every nurse would have.