I actually had three encounters with the nurse Jaime, in which she provided exceptional care. The first time I met Jamie was in July 2021 when I was admitted to labor and delivery with preterm contractions. It was my first baby, and I was definitely scared. Jaime was one of the nurses who cared for me during that time. She shared her own personal stories, as well as all of the baby advice that she had to help take my mind off of things. She made me feel comfortable and reassured, and I was at that time, forever thankful for what she had done during that stay.

Fast forward another month, and when I checked in for my C-section, to my surprise, she was actually going to be one of the labor and delivery nurses who would accompany me in the OR. Once again, I was full of anxiety, but she provided calmness and reassurance, and I was so thankful she was there with me. I remember getting out of surgery, and eventually being moved over to mother-baby, and looking at Jaime saying, “Wait, you’re not staying with me?” She smiled and explained she would be going back to the labor and delivery side, but that I was in excellent hands. She was right, I was in excellent hands, but I was also sad that she was not able to stay with me because of the connection we had made. I had wanted to contact her after that time to tell her how thankful I was, but was not able to find her contact information. I did think about her quite frequently and everything she had done for me. She definitely left a very positive lasting impression.

Fast forward another two years: September 2023 I checked in for my C-section with my second baby. Again, I was filled with anxiety as I was shown to the room and told that I could change into the gown lying on the bed. A few minutes later, my labor and delivery nurse walked in and to my surprise it was Nurse Jaime! She instantly remembered my husband and me from our first delivery. I was so incredibly relieved that Jaime would be there with me once again. This time, however, things definitely did not go as smoothly as they did the first time around. Delivery went fine in the OR, but I then had postpartum hemorrhage. Jaime was on top of it and made sure everything was taken care of right away. Because of the events from the postpartum hemorrhage I then required a second dose of antibiotic that night. By that point, Jaime had already given report to the next nurse and was supposed to be going home for the day. However, she came back in to check on me before leaving and gave us her best wishes. It was at that time I was receiving my second dose of IV antibiotic. Almost immediately, I started to feel funny. By this point, she knew me pretty well, and she recognized it in my face right away. She asked if I felt OK, and I said no, I felt funny—my face was feeling puffy and tingly. I ended up having an anaphylactic reaction to the antibiotic. She knew what to do right away, despite saying she had never actually witnessed a true anaphylactic reaction in anyone. She never skipped a beat. I was absolutely terrified but trusted that she was going to take care of me. She managed the situation incredibly well, and I’m so thankful she was there because she provided the reassurance I needed. After the reaction, I then developed preeclampsia with severely elevated blood pressure. She continued to stay with me. Note that this was all after her shift had ended, and she was supposed to be going home to her family for the day. Eventually, about two hours after her shift had ended, I was stable, and she did go home.

The following day, she was not scheduled to work, but she stopped by the hospital anyway to check on me and see how things were going. We talked for at least another 30 minutes that day as she continued to provide positivity and encouragement. I truly believe Jaime was a huge reason that I was mentally able to push through everything I went through postpartum this time around. She is smart, kind, caring, funny, and compassionate, and I am forever thankful our paths in life have crossed. This time, we have been able to remain in contact, and I have told her I want her to be able to watch both of my boys grow up, as she has been a significant part of their lives from the very beginning. My husband even agreed that she was fantastic and he was reassured that she was there to care for me. He even said to her, 'Why are you so good at your job?' :) I also want to recognize that all of the nurses I had on both the labor and delivery side and the mother-baby side were fantastic!

Note: This is Jamie's 2nd DAISY Award!