My son was born via C-section and Jessica Macchio was my labor and delivery nurse that day. She was continuously at my bedside making sure I was comfortable and that I knew what was going on. When it was time for my epidural Jess stayed with me, held my hand, and coached me through the process.
Once my labor started progressing, my son's heart rate kept dropping and he wasn't able to tolerate the contractions. Jess never left my bedside. She was there watching the monitor closely and communicating with the doctor. During such a scary time, I felt safe in the care of Jessica and my doctor. I was aware that having a C-section was possible because of my son's heart rate; they went the extra mile to try and prevent me from needing a C-section. This included an amnioinfusion and using the IUPC monitor. I am a postpartum nurse and am aware of what goes on in L&D but when you are the patient it is easy to forget everything you know. Jessica explained to me all the precautions and actions they were taking to try to prevent having to do a C-section. When the doctor decided he was going to do the section Jess assured me it was going to be okay and kept telling me how I was going to be able to meet my son very soon. She comforted me as the tears ran down my face because she knew how scared I was.
Once we got to the OR she continued to come to check on me, while continuing to complete her responsibilities as the OR nurse, and calm my nerves while I was getting prepped. She even arranged for my husband to be able to cut our son's umbilical cord. After he was born and we went back to the recovery room, Jess skipped her lunch break to stay with me in the recovery room. The next day even though I was a postpartum patient, Jess came and visited with my husband, son, and me.
Even though my son's delivery turned out differently than expected, I'm so thankful Jess was my nurse. I am positive that without her there I would have been a nervous wreck. She deserves to be recognized for all her hard work!