Stephanie R.M. Davis, RN

Over the first night of an eventual 40-hour labor, Stephanie would come by and keep me company. We chatted about labor and pets, my birth wishes, and my concerns. Labor intensified during her shift the following night. The pain grew unbearable and I neared panic between waves of nausea. For hours, Stephanie and my doula worked together to help me master my breath, kindly but firmly urging me to keep going when all I wanted was to lie down and give up. I found myself begging for help to make the pain stop. Stephanie knew of my wish for natural labor and never suggested an epidural, leaving me the agency and dignity of making the decision to get one. I will never forget the kindness and respect she showed me and helped me control what I could during such a traumatic experience.