I went in on Monday evening to be induced, and I was determined to go unmedicated. By Tuesday evening, I hadn't progressed much and my contractions were extremely painful. I finally decided to get an epidural, but I felt like I was giving up. When I told Kay, "I give up, I want the epidural," she told me that I was her hero. She told me that Pitocin contractions are the worst and she was impressed that I had gone 12 hours without the epidural. She made me feel like I wasn't actually giving up, and that I wasn't weak for choosing the epidural. Kay was so attentive to my husband and I and made me feel seen as a patient.

After giving birth, I hemorrhaged and my baby's blood sugar dropped. To stay my husband and I were emotional and stressed would be an understatement. Kay was back on shift that night and was going to be the nurse with my baby in the nursery treating and monitoring his blood sugar. I am so grateful for the way she explained everything to me. Kay sat us down and told us that we could take the night to get some rest and she would take care of our baby for the night if we wanted. I knew that my baby was in the best hands possible, so I was able to get sleep that night.

Kay is a phenomenal nurse. She is knowledgeable, kind, compassionate, and deserves all the praise for the kind of person she is. My first experience giving birth could have easily been a horrible one. I know that I would still be looking back thinking that I let myself down by giving in to the epidural if it weren't for Kay. She helped me feel at peace with my decision. I know that she also played a huge role in my baby's recovery. She turned a bad experience into one to remember.