As an employee, nurse and now new grandmother, Anna went above and beyond to work with my daughter and her husband (and me) to have a safe and wonderful delivery. Anna is a calm, expert nurse who not only provided great nursing care, she calmly coached my daughter through the last stage of her delivery while including her husband and me in the process. She would gently guide not only my daughter, but her husband, through the next steps. All the while making sure that their wishes and concerns were supported and addressed. As labor progressed, my daughter became anxious and worried that she would not have the strength to go on. Anna calmly made suggestions and let my daughter and her husband make choices. When my daughter would say "I just can't do this right" the nurse would say things like "let me show you a different way and see if this feels better to you." This may seem like a small thing but it validated her concerns and gave her back the control she needed at that moment. This simple act and constant positive feedback gave my daughter the confidence and strength to go on and have a successful delivery.
As a nurse and grandmother, I want to thank Anna for letting me be a mom to my daughter, a mother-in-law to her husband and most importantly a new grandmother. She always asked and explained things to my daughter and her husband first. Always in terms they could understand. Then when I was standing to the side, to not get in the way, she asked my daughter and her husband if they wanted me there. Once they said yes, she gave me a job and a place to stand. I needed this. Because of her, I got to witness the most beautiful birth of my first granddaughter while watching my strong, supported daughter become a mom. It was perfect and I will always be grateful to Anna for this once is a lifetime experience.
You only become a grandmother for the first time once and Anna made it an experience that exceeded my expectations. She made me so proud to be a nurse, feel safe in being a mother and overjoyed in becoming a grandmother. Thank you.