My second pregnancy was more complicated than my first one, but I never would have guessed I would end up having an emergency cesarean. I started off Hailee’s shift with just a slow progression. She was very sweet at the report, and every time she came in to check on us, she would educate and update both my husband and me. Being a nurse in another department, I know very little about obstetrics, and I find it a scary world, especially when on the patient side, and Hailee’s calm demeanor and knowledge helped settle my anxiety. My baby’s heart rate started to decrease, and Hailee stayed in the room to monitor and then notified my provider right away. Both she and my provider stayed with us in the room, trying different positions.

Finally, they had to make the decision to do a cesarean. I remember finding this out with my back to the rest of the room while the staff were preparing. The first face I saw was Hailee’s, and she could see I was scared. I’ll never forget her saying “what you’re feeling is normal, it is okay to cry”, and she touched my hand as it gripped the side rail. More complications arose during surgery. The staff were all so calm, and I didn’t realize there was anything wrong until I got back to the room. Hailee was there as the provider explained the complication and came up with the game plan of iron infusions and a blood transfusion. I didn’t think my husband and I would have handled the whole situation very well without Hailee, and I hope she knows how much impact her words and gentle touch had on our birth story. We owe her a debt of gratitude!