Judi Schuster
September 2020
Judi
Schuster
,
RNC-OB
Labor and Delivery
Englewood Hospital
Englewood
,
NJ
United States
While my wife and I want to thank all the doctors, nurses, and staff at Englewood Hospital for making the birth of our first child a memorable and enjoyable one, there is one nurse we want to recognize for going above and beyond to make our visit special. My wife and I had been trying for well over a year to have a baby, both natural and IVI proved unsuccessful, so we finally decided to try IVF. Despite being told the odds of success were still against us we finally got pregnant and started our planning.
Being the closest to us we visit Englewood first, and after taking the tour decided we didn't need to visit any other hospital. Being first-time parents we also decided to get a doula to help guide us through the labor and delivery process. Unfortunately, all this was done before the COVID Pandemic turned everyone's lives upside down. With new procedures in place, we knew that we could not bring our doula or have the comfort of family and friends visit. Being first-time parents this was not something we had mentally prepared for.
When the time arrived to head to the hospital we checked in. Got my wife an epidural and fell asleep. When we awoke, labor had progressed and our nurse for the day introduced herself. Judi was very helpful, continuously checking in on us and making sure we were comfortable and answering all our questions in preparation for delivery.
When the time came to deliver, Judi was extremely supportive and encouraging and provided my wife and me the guidance to help with a smooth delivery. Her comforting and calm voice was what my wife needed to hear. After 90 minutes of pushing, our son made his first appearance. In all the joy and excitement, it was only later that night when I reflected on the experience and realized what a critical role Judi had played for us, being both the family and doula that we weren't able to have there to support us.
My wife and I are truly grateful for all the sacrifices that healthcare workers are making during this difficult time, and we feel very fortunate to have had the chance to share our special moment with someone as remarkable as Judi.
Being the closest to us we visit Englewood first, and after taking the tour decided we didn't need to visit any other hospital. Being first-time parents we also decided to get a doula to help guide us through the labor and delivery process. Unfortunately, all this was done before the COVID Pandemic turned everyone's lives upside down. With new procedures in place, we knew that we could not bring our doula or have the comfort of family and friends visit. Being first-time parents this was not something we had mentally prepared for.
When the time arrived to head to the hospital we checked in. Got my wife an epidural and fell asleep. When we awoke, labor had progressed and our nurse for the day introduced herself. Judi was very helpful, continuously checking in on us and making sure we were comfortable and answering all our questions in preparation for delivery.
When the time came to deliver, Judi was extremely supportive and encouraging and provided my wife and me the guidance to help with a smooth delivery. Her comforting and calm voice was what my wife needed to hear. After 90 minutes of pushing, our son made his first appearance. In all the joy and excitement, it was only later that night when I reflected on the experience and realized what a critical role Judi had played for us, being both the family and doula that we weren't able to have there to support us.
My wife and I are truly grateful for all the sacrifices that healthcare workers are making during this difficult time, and we feel very fortunate to have had the chance to share our special moment with someone as remarkable as Judi.