The moment every new mom is most excited for is meeting her new baby, but a lot of people don’t realize the work it takes to be able to get them here. When I found out I was pregnant, I had all these expectations; no epidural, no induction, and I was going to avoid Pitocin as much as possible. As my pregnancy got later and later, I realized some of these expectations were about to fly right out of the window. I ended up being scheduled to be induced, and I was completely terrified. Jen was one of the first faces we saw when we arrived that Sunday night, and she was so nice and caring. She explained everything to me in detail and made sure I was as comfortable as possible.

My labor ended up being around 30 hours, so I got to see Jen again the next night. When she arrived, she was just as nice as the day before, and I felt immediate relief that she was there. She has a comforting personality and a way of making you feel like everything is going to be okay. She did everything she could to make my labor as comfortable as possible. If I complained about something, she would do her best to get me something to make me more comfortable.

To say my labor was a lot is an understatement. I pushed for 4 hours and had a 4th degree tear that sent us right to the OR. Jen was nothing short of helpful and encouraging the entire time. If I asked for something, I had it right there. We ended up staying at the hospital from Sunday night to Friday evening and Jen came back and checked on us in our postpartum room 2 different days before her shift. Things like that speak volumes about a nurse.

As a nurse myself with a DAISY Award, I know in my heart that Jen deserves one to also be recognized for the amazing compassion and care that she shows to her patients while they’re in a really stressful and vulnerable time in their lives. She knows when to give compassion and care and when to give tough love. I’m not sure my experience would have been as great if I had a different nurse helping me deliver that night. The fact that she thought about me after I left her care and she wanted to check on me not 1, but 2 days is something that really helped me get through the week. If I ever end up in labor and delivery again, I will be asking for Jen to take care of me because I’ll know I’ll be in good hands.