My daughter was born at St. Peter's Hospital. Two days later, I was told she had lost 6% of her birth weight. Given her low birth weight of 5 lbs 4 oz, I was asked to pump in order to feed her. As a first time mom and someone who was deeply committed to exclusively breastfeeding, the move to pumping was both daunting and disappointing. The lactation consultant showed me what to do and how to clean the equipment, but it seemed very complicated, especially as I was so tired and drained from poor sleep at night. Furthermore, the care team was not sure whether I would be able to pump enough milk to meet the required feeding schedule and so I was given the option of supplementing with donor milk. Again, this is something I found really disappointing in terms of the possibility of not being able to provide for my daughter with my own supply.

Mallory was on shift on Thursday as my RN and she was absolutely outstanding in her care for me. Her support to me on my pumping journey made me feel like I was not alone. Her personality and spirit makes her an ideal nurse - she was consistently positive, encouraging, helpful, and kind in all our interactions over two days without fail. She dedicated time and attention to my concerns and needs when she was with me and did the same for my husband. I had to pump every two hours. She patiently helped me set up, connect and clean all my pumping equipment each time and helped combine and store all the milk efficiently. She would make a point of checking back in with me after each 15-minute pumping session was over, and helped me also work out the schedule for the next feed.

Throughout the process, she never made me feel I was a burden in terms of my reliance on her support; she reassured me that was what she was there for. More than that, she celebrated my wins with me. When it turned out that my pumping was actually producing lots of milk and I wouldn't need the donor milk, Mallory was such an encouraging supporter and champion of me. This made a world of difference to my confidence and my ability to stay positive.

Mallory's excellent care continued into the next day on Friday when she returned for her shift. She patiently helped my husband and I with a host of things in the run up to our discharge that day and ensured I was going home with all the pumping supplies I needed. Throughout, she retained such a positive and helpful energy, was highly efficient and professional and never forgot any of the many clinical/administrative requests I made of her. I experienced care from a number of different nurses while at St. Peter's Hospital but Mallory by far was a standout staff member and the hospital is so lucky to have her as a member of the post partum team!