I am so incredibly thankful that I was fortunate enough to have Kim as my nurse. We checked into the hospital at 7:45 AM. Kim introduced herself and immediately let us know that there were no rules today. She encouraged my tears as I wept and let me know that it's ok to feel whatever I'm feeling. I was there to deliver my stillborn daughter and was terrified as I prepared to face what I imagined would be the worst day of my life.

Kim was honest, thorough, and realistic as I went through this series of events. She included my husband and treated him with compassion and empathy as well. She didn't tiptoe around our feelings or give false expectations and acknowledged that the whole situation was awful and unfair. She encouraged us to call her by name and made it comfortable for us to grieve in whatever way we needed. Lots of tears were shed throughout the day along with some lighthearted, casual conversation.

Kim had to leave for the day, and I was nervous that the next nurse might not be as comfortable and as easy to talk to as she was, but honestly, all of the nurses I had were absolutely wonderful, compassionate, and strong. I know for some of them it was their first fetal demise that they had cared for, but they were all supportive and compassionate and most of all, empathetic. I was surprised that my labor lasted so long, but they all made sure to keep me as comfortable as possible.

I was happy when Kim was back the next day. I'm grateful that she was there when our daughter was stillborn a couple of hours later and was there to support and encourage our bonding with our sweet baby girl that day. We spent 8 hours with our daughter before we said our goodbyes. Kim talked me through the next steps and what to expect going forward. Kim encouraged us to take lots of pictures, for which I will always be grateful.

Special shout out to Cass as well, who was training with Kim the 2nd day and helped with photos, keeping me comfortable, and maintaining professionalism throughout it all. Honestly, a deep heartfelt thank you to ALL the nurses I had in those 36 hours - Alana, Clare, Deb, Cass, and Kim. They managed to make those 2 days in the hospital as tolerable and comfortable as possible given the circumstances.

Thank you, again, to the whole nursing staff and Kim for helping me through the hardest thing I’ve ever endured - the loss of my sweet, sweet baby girl.