Labor & Delivery nurses brought surprising joy amid the pandemic. Labor and Delivery nurses are privileged and honored to support families in their joyful yet vulnerable time of bringing new life into the world. Pregnancy is often a happy experience but can be mixed with misfortune and unfortunate circumstances. 2020 was especially challenging with the pandemic robbing families of the joys of the labor and childbirth experience due to "no visitor" policies, and many people losing their jobs and source of income.

On the other hand, the pandemic brought overwhelming displays of support and generosity from the public to our nurses at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim, as they faced the crisis head-on, and the Labor and Delivery nurses created an opportunity to give back to their teen mom-to-be who spent over two months on the Antepartum unit. Her mother was her only support and due to childcare issues and the curtailed visitor policy, she spent many days alone without a visitor, except for her nurses - several of whom rotated caring for her over the period of her hospitalization and connected with her through conversations as they provided the needed support in this difficult time.

The nurses discovered with time that their young patient did not have a stroller for her expectant baby, and soon a voluntary collection was organized by Kerri Udomsap, RN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, and Havah Fulson, BSN, RN, to purchase a stroller. The nurses’ generosity yielded over $500 allowing them to purchase the stroller and several items to include a car seat. Due to premature delivery, they were robbed of the opportunity to surprise her with the gifts at a baby shower, but that did not thwart their plan to bring some happiness to this otherwise difficult situation. To her surprise on one visit to see her baby in the NICU, the Labor and Delivery nurses presented her with the needed gifts and a message of encouragement.