I went into labor on Saturday night with mild contractions and heavy discharge. I had assumed it was my water breaking. I was sent to the hospital to be monitored but, due to no available rooms, had to remain in triage. After two cervical exams, I was confirmed to be only dilated 2cm and eventually sent home that night. Monday morning I was given another cervical check to confirm no progress and still, 2 cm dilated. By nighttime, my contractions were terribly agonizing. I was instructed to again return to the hospital. After another two cervical exams, and in excruciating pain, I was given a shot of morphine and again sent home, being told no hospitals had beds for labor and delivery and would have to be 5-6 cm dilated to be admitted or given an epidural.

After 5 terribly painful cervical checks in 24 hours, I could not dilate past 2 cm. I felt the medical community had failed us, we were being ignored, and like I was forced to have a natural birth at home. Finally Tuesday afternoon I was instructed to go to Shady Grove and although they also did not have any beds, I could at least wait in triage until one opened up. At this point in our story, everything changed. From the parking lot to the front door, two employees offered us assistance and kindness. Even on the way to the third-floor L&D desk employees showed compassion and investment to help us from the waiting room.

In triage, I was still confirmed to be 2 cm dilated and going on 72 hours of debilitating contractions. Within a few hours, we were given a room, an epidural, and a plan for delivery (informative communication), and I was dilated to 10 cm within 2 ½ hours! Our nurse, Natalie, checked all the boxes! She kept an eye on the monitor, she knew when it was time to prep for delivery, and she was extremely kind and compassionate about my pain management, positioning, etc. She explained a lot, to a T, “how my husband would assist with pushing during contractions." It was as if we were her trained colleagues. We at no point felt confused, nervous, or anxious about the delivery of our first child because of her peaceful presence and patient education at each phase. Our son was delivered after 40 minutes of pushing and after all I had been through it felt like a piece of cake! I fully believe our God was in control of our entire story. He showed us where to have patience and that clearly the previous hospital was a door to be shut. Praise God for nurse Natalie Brown for being an angel in our midst and a blessing from the minute we met!

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Natalie was the perfect fit to get my wife calm and confident about the delivery process. There were a number of fears at each step and she was perfectly caring and encouraging while also keeping my wife motivated to continue on. She also stayed beyond her shift to make sure we were settled in our post-delivery room. Her dedication was greatly appreciated and crucial to making this a positive experience.