As a first-time mom, I was scared, nervous, excited, and most of all afraid of failure. The unknown process of labor and the overall care after birth was truly a paralyzing idea. Going in with this mindset was extremely emotional and difficult. However, I could not have asked for a better labor & delivery team.

To start my journey and tell my story: My water broke at 4:30 pm on Wednesday. We rushed to the hospital and were greeted by N the day nurse. N was fantastic to start the day. She got us comfortable made us feel welcome, talked to me about my birth plan, and ensured we had plenty of food and water. Once her shift ended we were joined by S who is a travel nurse. Although she had limited time at the Marshall Hospital she was instrumental and extremely knowledgeable. S was more than attentive, professional, and had a remarkable bedside manner. She walked and talked me through my contractors, she helped my partner with coping techniques and how to make me more comfortable, and she also made sure I fully understood the epidural process; especially how it was my choice.

As the night went on S had me in multiple positions to help the baby position head and face down. She was in my room everything thirty minutes checking on me and watching the baby’s heart rate. In certain positions it would drop and she would rush in and get us in a new position. It was terrifying yet so special to see how much she cared and ensured the baby was in a good position. S consistently talked to the doctor and once we got closer she arranged the epidural and started to check my dilation. Her way of explaining everything she was doing and why is something I’ll never forget and always appreciate. At 6:15 am she told me it was time to push. She walked me through breathing, she pushed me to push harder and longer in such a gentle professional way knowing it was best for the baby.

Once we got really close she called the doctor and N came back for a shift change. Both N and S stayed for the entire birth. Once our baby arrived, S even reminded us and asked us if we wanted her to take a few photos of us holding our little boy H for the first time. Those are some of the most precious photos we have.

Fast forward to the evening - this is when Kaley showed up for her night shift. I’ll truly never be able to put into words what Kaley did for me. That day was extremely exhausting and I had committed to breastfeeding. We had tried all day to get H to latch and provide him with colostrum. Unfortunately, it was not happening. When Kaley showed up I was once again trying and I think she could see my frustration and exhaustion. She immediately without hesitation came to my side and showed me multiple ways to hold him for better latching and also helped with pinching my nipple. She made me feel so comfortable and unashamed. She taught R and I how to watch his lips and make sure they were completely over the nipple.

After multiple attempts throughout the night, I expressed my concern and really wanted him to be able to get some form of milk. Kaley walked me through my options and we decided on donor breast milk. She went through the paperwork with me and got everything ready. She taught R how to hold H and help him accept the bottle. In the middle of the night, she asked us if we would like her to bring him to the nursery and work on latching so we could get some sleep. She was seriously a godsend. After I got a few hours of sleep she brought him back and talked with me about what they did and how she felt he was latching much better. We tried feeding again and working on my colostrum. Ultimately we stayed in the hospital for two full days. Kaley was there both nights and her behavior love for her job kindness and professionalism with forever stick with our family. I couldn’t have done it without her. She taught me that it was okay not to be perfect. Perfect is simply not possible. Trying your absolute best is and she reminded me of that.

Without her I may have had a mental breakdown and truly felt like a failure. She changed both my and R’s mindset when it came to parenting. The entire team made this possible and there are even a few more nurses such as J and A that made a large impact as well. Each one of them was remarkable and passionate. I will choose Avera again should I ever have another baby. Thank you so much Kaley & Team.

Congratulations, Kaley Flanagan!