Susan Brady
November 2024
Susan
Brady
,
RN
Childbirth Center
Geisinger Medical Center
Danville
,
PA
United States
Susan worked tirelessly with me from the moment she arrived for the night shift to support me in achieving the birth that I wanted.
Susan Brady embodies the type of nurse that I want to be. I was privileged to have Susan as my nurse during my labor. I secretly was hoping she would be on, and I always thought she was an excellent nurse, calm, reassuring, and experienced. I knew she’d advocate for my wants.
Walking onto the labor and delivery floor, I was already feeling discouraged because my birth ‘hope’ was already growing distant. Susan worked tirelessly with me from the moment she arrived for the night shift to support me in achieving the birth that I wanted. I wanted to labor in the shower, and I ended up staying there for seven hours. Susan must have switched out every single wireless monitor on the unit so I could labor there for as long as I wanted. When my contractions felt unbearable, I heard her encouraging voice supporting me. She said, “You can do anything for 60 seconds. You’ve got this.”
After 7 hours of what felt like intense labor, I was starting to feel disappointed and discouraged. My coping skills started to waver with the lack of labor progression. I remember Susan pulling up a chair and sitting next to me. I started to cry to her—“This is so hard and hurts so bad. I don’t know if I can do it anymore. Why isn’t this working?“ I felt so supported by her during this moment. She gave me realistic encouragement and was a level-headed sounding board.
Susan walked through options with me. When I decided my hope for a delivery without an epidural wasn’t going to happen from a combination of exhaustion, worry of prolonged ROM, and potentially becoming failure to progress, Susan quickly got anesthesia beside. When things were getting hairy, and I could hear my baby not tolerating labor, it was a relief to just listen to her guidance. I completely trusted she’d keep the baby safe.
I was so disappointed that Susan was off shift for the actual birth, missing it by just two hours after all our hard work through the night. The following day, she was on and got to meet my baby girl - both of us were guessing boy as she was such a stinkpot getting out.
Susan supports you right where you’re at. If what you’re doing is working for you, she makes it happen - whether that’s laboring in the shower for 7 hours, laboring on the toilet, crying to her, or becoming your support person after your husband passes out. Beyond her unwavering, phenomenal support, I never once worried about my or my baby’s safety; I knew she was closely monitoring both of us. It was a relief to pass off any worry or responsibility for safety, knowing we’re in excellent hands and taken care of. My initial hope for my birth changed from my imagined ‘plan,’ but I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Susan advocated for everything and more than I wanted. I couldn’t have asked for a better nurse to get me through that night. Susan makes me want to be a better nurse, and I’m so thankful she was on that night. I truly don’t think I could’ve done it without her.
Walking onto the labor and delivery floor, I was already feeling discouraged because my birth ‘hope’ was already growing distant. Susan worked tirelessly with me from the moment she arrived for the night shift to support me in achieving the birth that I wanted. I wanted to labor in the shower, and I ended up staying there for seven hours. Susan must have switched out every single wireless monitor on the unit so I could labor there for as long as I wanted. When my contractions felt unbearable, I heard her encouraging voice supporting me. She said, “You can do anything for 60 seconds. You’ve got this.”
After 7 hours of what felt like intense labor, I was starting to feel disappointed and discouraged. My coping skills started to waver with the lack of labor progression. I remember Susan pulling up a chair and sitting next to me. I started to cry to her—“This is so hard and hurts so bad. I don’t know if I can do it anymore. Why isn’t this working?“ I felt so supported by her during this moment. She gave me realistic encouragement and was a level-headed sounding board.
Susan walked through options with me. When I decided my hope for a delivery without an epidural wasn’t going to happen from a combination of exhaustion, worry of prolonged ROM, and potentially becoming failure to progress, Susan quickly got anesthesia beside. When things were getting hairy, and I could hear my baby not tolerating labor, it was a relief to just listen to her guidance. I completely trusted she’d keep the baby safe.
I was so disappointed that Susan was off shift for the actual birth, missing it by just two hours after all our hard work through the night. The following day, she was on and got to meet my baby girl - both of us were guessing boy as she was such a stinkpot getting out.
Susan supports you right where you’re at. If what you’re doing is working for you, she makes it happen - whether that’s laboring in the shower for 7 hours, laboring on the toilet, crying to her, or becoming your support person after your husband passes out. Beyond her unwavering, phenomenal support, I never once worried about my or my baby’s safety; I knew she was closely monitoring both of us. It was a relief to pass off any worry or responsibility for safety, knowing we’re in excellent hands and taken care of. My initial hope for my birth changed from my imagined ‘plan,’ but I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Susan advocated for everything and more than I wanted. I couldn’t have asked for a better nurse to get me through that night. Susan makes me want to be a better nurse, and I’m so thankful she was on that night. I truly don’t think I could’ve done it without her.