I gave birth to my daughter 5 weeks early. This is when I first met my nurse Jessica Palmer. Jessica was very sweet from the start. She was helpful to her fellow nurses who were also attending to me and made sure to always ask if I needed anything to make me as comfortable as possible. Throughout the night I was constantly being checked, each time Jessica made sure to explain everything she was doing and the purpose in her doing so. She was very compassionate, answered any question I had, or made sure to find out an answer. She was also very inclusive of my husband. Made sure he knew what she was doing and what was going on with me.
As the day nurses came on, they were equally as sweet and caring. Shift change came once again on Saturday evening, we were surprised and very happy to see that Jessica was back and was our nurse again! Shortly after Jessica arrived, the pressure and pain came on very strong and was becoming unbearable. Jessica stayed by my side as the last of the labor was intensifying. As contractions increased in frequency and intensity, and my confidence in handling them decreased, she was there to remind me to breathe and keep going. She offered words of encouragement and compassion in a time I was numb to all other things except the pain I was enduring. Finally came time to push, as my doctor came in, Jessica was still there by my side. She was offering me comfort and support and doing the same for my husband. She explained to him what he could do to help me during this critical time. There was a point I distinctly remember between pushes when she told me I was doing great, and to keep pushing exactly as I had the time before. She still reminded me to breathe and to keep going. On my last push, I remember her saying that I was doing it and she could see my daughter.
Delivery was over but my recovery was just starting. Jessica, once again, was there to check on me every hour, offer any answer to my questions, and make sure I was comfortable. She was also very attentive to my needs with my newborn and shared in our joy at her arrival, even at 3 or 4 in the morning. When shift change came, Jessica came in to tell my husband and I congratulations and to see the baby she helped deliver before she left. It touched my heart that she came in before she left to see us.
Once again, shift change happened on Sunday evening and to our absolute delight, Jessica came in. She was very happy to see us and was so glad I was healing well. After her initial check-in, she came back in to see if we needed anything and took a few extra minutes to sit and talk with me. My husband was out and I was glad to have the company. It was during this conversation that I truly knew Jessica was a nurse who went above and beyond. She and I discussed how she started out in her nursing career and how her passion for labor and delivery was what really made her love her job. I learned some of her personal life and how that ties into her passion for her job. There was a certain connection I felt and was instantly happy that we had gotten to have Jessica as our nurse for our three nights on the labor and delivery floor. As the night continued, Jessica was still there every step offering help and comfort. When I was disconnected from the magnesium, Jessica made sure to spend some extra time with me to make sure I was able to get up, stretch my legs, and allowed me some time up before I laid back down. She offered light-hearted conversation, jokes, and advice on my recovery. She came back a few more times throughout the night to give me a chance to get up. Around 5 am Monday morning, it was time to move our family up to the mother-baby unit. As we were being moved, we were extremely sad to be leaving Jessica. The goodbye was emotional for me but I was so very thankful for the experience.
To tie this all together, our 3-night stay in labor and delivery was a long one filled with many changes and emotions. Having Jessica as a constant was not only comforting but made our delivery extra memorable. To go from expecting to be pregnant to expecting a baby within hours was a drastic change but we felt extremely blessed. All nurses we had were wonderful, but Jessica went above and beyond to make a connection with my family and make sure I was taken care of both personally and medically. After our experience, it would mean so much to let Jessica know that her care and compassion in her role as our nurse was not unnoticed or unappreciated. Her being a part of our journey is an unforgettable one.