A few weeks prior to my due date I had a horrible stomach bug that left me very sick and dehydrated- leading to an overnight stay at the hospital. While Lexi wasn't our nurse that night, this is when we initially met her and our trust in her began. Lexy was the charge nurse that night and rounded on us, checking to see if we needed anything. While she was in the room talking to us, she noticed my husband was in the recliner attempting to get comfortable after selflessly caring for me all day and night and she brought extra pillows and blankets in for him. She brought in the blankets and pillows, asked if she could get anything else for us, then turned out the lights so we could get some rest. While this may seem not seem like a lot, it really meant a lot to us that she took time out of her shift to round on patients that weren't even hers and saw my husband was uncomfortable and automatically offered to bring something to make it better as we were both so exhausted.

Fast forward to the night I went into labor and we both felt a sense of comfort wash over us and were happy to see that Lexy would be our labor nurse for the night. It was so comforting to see a familiar face and to know we were in caring hands during our first labor experience, and she continued to go above and beyond for us and exceed our expectations. She kept us informed and updated regarding the plan, as well as what to expect, and also answered my hundreds of questions. I wasn't sure if I wanted to get an epidural at first, and she respected and supported my wishes, answered all of my questions, and went over all of my options. She helped me into the labor tub, rubbed my back when things got tough, helped teach my husband how to apply counter pressure to relieve my back labor (and then continued to do it herself when I told her she did it better than my husband did haha), fanned me as I was throwing up, and so much more.

I was amazed by her ability to calm me down and help me to refocus as my labor intensified, and as a registered nurse myself- I can honestly say I walked away from my experience at Blessing Hospital with Lexy as my nurse with notes on how to improve myself as a nurse as I learned many things from her that I wanted to apply to patients I cared for in the future in hopes to help them feel the same sense of care and comfort I felt with her. When I decided I wanted an epidural she was very supportive and encouraged me to not be discouraged, and encouraged me to be proud of how much I had accomplished.

I built such trust with her during my labor and when the time came to push, unfortunately, it was the end of her shift. Additionally, my Dr. was unable to get there in time for the delivery, so I was a little worried about having a new crew. But without having to say anything about being nervous, Lexy walked up and asked if my husband and I would be okay with her staying for the labor, which is literally the best thing she could have said to me in that moment. I wish there was a way to put into words how much that truly meant to us. Her choosing to stay an extra hour over to give us an hour of her own time- one less hour of sleep (because I know how tiring night shift is and how comfy your bed sounds at the end of the shift) completely changed my labor experience and I'm so grateful for it.

I remember people commenting on how calm my husband and I seemed, especially considering this was our first baby- and I give Lexy complete credit for that. We fully trusted and respected her, and truly felt at ease with her by our side. I found myself looking over to my left where she stood while I labored, and being comforted and reassured as the new Dr. came into the room, introduced himself, asked me questions and explained things, as I got tired and things got harder, and once again when my daughter's heart rate dropped and things got a bit more serious. Each time that I was confused or concerned and didn't know if something was wrong, she was there providing me comfort and reassurance, and each time I knew that we were all in good hands and that she would provide us with the absolute best care possible.

Looking back on our labor experience, my husband and I have talked many times about how lucky and grateful we are to have had her, as he felt the same sense of comfort and reassurance from her. With the restrictions placed on visitors at the time of my daughter's birth resulting in not being able to have my mom or sister there for support in addition to my husband's presence, I am so appreciative of the amazing care she provided us with as well as the reassurance and calmness she gave me during the entire process. I will forever be grateful to her for the amazing labor experience I had and commend her talent as a labor and delivery nurse. I hope she knows how much everything she did for us really meant to my husband and me as well as how much of a positive influence she had on my entire experience at Blessing Hospital during my labor and delivery and as our family grew by one.