My labor was very stressful and painful. I was on Pitocin, magnesium, and blood pressure meds, and my first epidural failed. Orlando assisted with my second epidural, which worked for a bit and was back and forth in my room to help troubleshoot, as that one failed after a bit as well. He was very kind and also respected my modesty which I really appreciated (turned around when I was getting checked, helped keep me covered etc.) especially since he’s a man (I'd expect to be a bit more uncomfortable with male providers in labor and delivery but he made me feel comfortable).

After the second failure, I decided to get a C-section where he would be the CRNA. Because my epidurals had failed and I also had a spinal fusion from T2 to L1, which they suspected caused the issues, he thought I would have to be under general anesthesia for the c-section. I started crying and was very upset because I knew my husband wouldn’t get to be there in that case, and I wouldn’t get to hold my baby. He ultimately came back and said he was going to give it another try and found an anesthesiologist to help him administer a spinal block so I could have a better shot at staying awake. Because of him going the extra mile to try and help find a solution, I was awake during the birth of my son and even got skin-to-skin. I also got to have my husband in the OR, and he got to witness the birth, too. I was especially grateful because my son ended up in the NICU, and because I was on magnesium, I could not leave the postpartum floor for 24 hours, meaning I couldn’t see my son. The fact that I got to hold him and had pictures of us together helped me keep it together until I could see him again. My husband and I are both so grateful that Orlando went above and beyond.