Just three weeks ago my life was forever changed when one of your nurses, LaShawn Morrison, helped to deliver my first child. There literally has not been a single day that has gone by since then that my husband and I haven't thought about or raved about the amazing job LaShawn did that day in the delivery room.

To give you a little background, my water had broken on the morning of November 9th. We headed into the hospital that morning and were admitted soon after. Little did I know at that point what I was going to be in for over the next 36 hours. Labor was not close in sight and would not really begin until the following day. LaShawn was my nurse all day and night on November 10th. She was nothing short of amazing.

For months leading up to this special day, I had devoted my time to preparing for a "peaceful", "quick", and " natural" childbirth by taking hypnobirthing classes and listening to self-hypnosis and positive affirmation CD's every night. I was dead set against having a C-section and was determined to deliver my baby as naturally as possible. I had planted all of these positive images in my head for exactly how I wanted my baby's birth to be. No one could have prepared me for going through such a long, painful delivery as the one I experienced. Even more so, I never would have thought that my baby would have been in a transverse position and in need of intervention to be delivered.

Throughout the day as my labor slowly progressed, LaShawn was always readily available for anything I needed. I remember whenever I got up to use the restroom, I kept setting off alarms on the equipment I was hooked up to. This happened several times, and every time LaShawn would come in with a smile and ensure I was hooked back up correctly and that I was comfortable. In addition, she would frequently check on me and see how labor was progressing. Every time she checked on me, I felt as if she really cared about the safety and comfort of both me and my baby. She also made me feel as if I was her only patient that day, because she was so readily available whenever I needed her. She never made me feel rushed or that she didn't have time for me. LaShawn was wonderful throughout the day with us, however her true heroism kicked in during my second stage of labor.

Once labor progressed to the pushing stage, LaShawn never left my side. She was as much of a labor coach as my husband was throughout the three hours of pushing. Here is a nurse that had just met me for the first time that day, had no previous relationship with me, and she became a rock for me throughout my labor. I felt like I had a friend by my side with so much knowledge and experience who could really help guide me and coach me through every contraction and push. I honestly don't think I could have delivered this baby without her love and support.

Throughout my labor, I had three different doctors due to shift changes, been given all sorts of drugs, and had been thrown off my hypnobirthing game completely. I felt so scared, desperate, exhausted and nearly hopeless that there was nothing more that I could do to deliver this baby vaginally. At that point I had been pushing for nearly 3 hours without any reassurance that I was making any progress. I felt nearly defeated. However, at times when the doctors would leave the room, LaShawn continued to hold my hand and coach me, encouraged me through every contraction. When she saw me struggling and losing energy, she encouraged me even more, which helped to keep me stay focused and motivated to push when I thought I had nothing left. In addition to supporting me throughout the delivery, she also offered instruction and support to my husband as to things he could do in the moment to help me.

Eventually I had to make the decision to either go for a C-section or have the doctors use forceps to help the baby out. I knew that which ever option I would chose, I had the full support of LaShawn and she would continue to be right there by my side helping me every step of the way. I ended up opting for forceps, and I am thankful I did. Together Dr. D and LaShawn safely delivered our baby into this world.

Though all of the staff at Bridgeport Hospital were wonderful to us throughout our stay, we would be remiss if we did not nominate LaShawn for the DAISY Award. She definitely deserves to be recognized because she is an exemplary employee who embodies the core values that Bridgeport Hospital stands for patient centered, integrity, respect, accountability and compassion. We will forever be grateful for LaShawn and the team at Bridgeport Hospital. Thank you so much.