E and I were dealing with a difficult labor that had been going on for over 16 hours at the hospital and a lot longer before at the birthing center and home. E was absolutely exhausted and not dilating very quickly by the time Taylor came on shift. The energy in the room completely changed when Taylor entered. She quickly got to know E in a meaningful way, learning and using pronouns without struggle, effectively using consent and suggestion in a way that let us immediately trust her in a surprisingly profound way. E enthusiastically followed Taylor’s instructions and while unfortunately we could not make enough progress 24 hours into an induction and ended up with a c-section, the energy Taylor was able to pour into E and the incredible trust generated felt very special!

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When I first got to the hospital, I was an emotional mess. I had been so set on a birthing center. Taylor was far from the first person I talked with that helped me feel validated. She told me it was okay to grieve, and she shared her personal experience with me. The next day, she was my nurse and I was so thankful. She integrated with my birth team (midwife, doula, husband) immediately. She was constantly cheering me on in the best way and helping me through the waves of pain and emotion. Taylor would break down what she wanted me to do and why, and she was very compassionate with all her physical help getting me into position. She spent her whole shift with us and I could not have had a better experience without her. I was hopeful she could meet the little human she helped so much with, but she really changed my tune about the birth I ended up having. Our experience at St. Joe’s was overwhelmingly positive. From start to finish, I could tell Taylor loved her job. I know anyone that interacts with her will feel well taken care of.