I was in a L&D room with my first pregnancy (high risk), awaiting the arrival of my son D. With me in the room were my husband V and my mom R. I had a scheduled induction due to my high-risk status. My birth plan was to have a natural birth. As a protocol, two strips were placed on my stomach to monitor D. The first medication given to me to start labor started working as my contractions started, but with my contractions also came complications. D’s heart rate was going down. The medical team decided that D was not responding well to this medication, and the only way to keep a heart rate stable for D was for me to be in bed (lying on my left side).

As the hours went by and I was having contractions, I was looking forward to going to the restroom because I was able to give my body a break from only lying on my side. At about hour 4, the medical team gave me another medication to induce labor, hoping that D’s heart rate would not go down; however, it did, so the medication was stopped. A third medication was introduced, and I continued to be in bed at this point I was not allowed to go to the restroom because it was hard to keep monitoring D’s heart rate utilizing the straps on my stomach and the medical team needed me to be monitored at all times. I was already at hour 14 with limited mobility and was just in bed. My body was exhausted from being in labor and from being in bed in the same position. I was not able to breathe well as one nose nostril was clogged from me being on one side for hours.

I was lying on my side with an oxygen mask and using breathing techniques as a form of pain management (no pain medications or epidural). At this point being on my side only and having the contractions gave me little autonomy and when Irene came to see me, she asked me if there was anything she could help me with. I mentioned that it would be nice to move to a different side or even walk for at least 5 minutes. I made that statement as a rhetorical statement because every nurse before her mentioned that I should stay on one side and not get up to monitor D’s heart rate. I knew that she was going to say something like, “There is not much I can do about that,” just like any other nurse before her. This is when Irene did something that drastically changed my labor experience.

She mentioned that there was a wireless device that would allow me to walk (in very close proximity to the bed), and it would allow D to be monitored at the same time. Irene was very honest with my husband and me and did let us know that there was a possibility that the connection would not be that great and if that was the case then I would need to go back to bed and be connected to the monitor. Irene gave me hope, and at the same time, she was honest. This was the best news I had in about 14 hours. My body was already feeling better, my spirit was up. It was great to walk again for a few minutes, and Irene came to check on me several times.

About an hour after I walked for periods of time D’s heart rate went down and at this point, the medical team decided to do an emergency c-section. I understand that the medical team has guidelines to follow; however, giving patients an alternative and caring for how best the staff can help means the world. Irene may not have known that her suggestion made me the happiest pregnant woman at that moment but her thinking about another solution to my care it’s what made her my hero at that moment. Thank you.