I had been in labor for about 30 hours when my nurse, Natalia, completed her shift change and became my nurse. She was immediately calm but focused, helping me understand what clues to watch for in my final stages of labor. While I labored in my last hour, Natalia bonded with me over our shared German heritage and prepped my body for labor (I had an epidural and needed help moving around). When it was time to push, I realized I had no idea what to do (first-time mom). Natalia was one step ahead of me, coaching me how to push and giving me so much encouragement as I grew tired.

In the best way, Natalia commanded the room. There were about five other people in the room, but her calm and steady demeanor maintained the five in the room. I am nominating her for what happened next.

I was exhausted from pushing, I drank too much too soon, vomited, and felt extremely fatigued. I began to feel like a failure ~ already unable to take care of my son. Natalia came over, grasped my shoulders, and in a calm and sturdy way, explained that I needed to rest, that was the safest way to take care of my baby.

Being able to recognize the emotions that I was feeling and respond to everything so quickly and effectively was vital as a transition from a pregnant person to a mother. This nurse demonstrated a very high level of empathy, refusing to disrespect my emotions and responding to everything perfectly. Thank you so much!