I just want to say thank you, Jess, for being MY nurse. You were very much MY nurse. I know it's your profession and you get paid to do it but I had such a wonderful and personable experience with you that I really need to thank you.
I am so grateful and feel lucky that my husband was there with me and he was there the whole time, but if it weren't for you I would not have had the positive experience that I did. I got so lucky that I had you as my nurse. I honestly think you were an angel sent to me that night.
You treated me like family, you treated me like I mattered, and you treated me like I was important. I wasn't just another patient. You were so attentive. You gave me suggestions on what I needed to do to progress my labor and to ease my pain. You spoke to me with love and kindness. You never once spoke like you were the one in charge. You simply allowed me to do what I needed to do while I was in labor and all the while making sure you aided me in whatever I needed you to, to make it so that my labor went smoothly.
I didn't want that epidural. I wanted to make it on my own. You did everything you possibly could for me to obtain that goal. You continuously encouraged me with positive words and suggestions so that I could freely labor in the way that I needed to. You kept me calm; you let me breathe and gave me moments to work through each contraction. Even though I needed the epidural I knew with you by my side I would have totally given birth without the epidural if my baby wasn't so stubborn with his head!
I am not one of those fortunate ones where I am able to have family be there for me like some other women. I don't have a relationship with my mother, which is sad and unfortunate. The moment I needed you most and didn't realize I needed a mother figure was the moment you really shined. And that moment was when the epidural was getting put in. I absolutely could not have done that without you. I was in the most excruciating pain I have ever been in my life. I'm sure I squeezed my husband's hand so hard he lost feeling. To have that magnitude of contractions, while having to be utterly still, and then to have another set of sharp horrible pain happening in my back, I thought I was going to lose it. But I didn't. And I can tell you exactly why I didn't lose it, that's because of you. You held me, you comforted me, you spoke so softly in my ear words of encouragement and words to keep me calm that I was able to be still and allow the anesthesiologist to do what he needed to do. You were my mother for those minutes that felt like an eternity. You were exactly what I needed. I felt so much love from you at that moment and because of that, I knew I was able to get through that faint-inducing pain. Luckily, I didn't faint!
Thank you for your patience, for your kindness, for your love, and for being MY nurse, my friend, my family.
Your job is not easy, but I hope you know you made a difference in my life. This was my last pregnancy and I had a really good nine months and to end my pregnancy with you was the icing on the cake. You made it such a truly wonderful experience for me; it makes me want to have another one! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was so lucky to get you.