December 2022
Kim
Bailey
,
RN
Mother Baby
Boston Medical Center
Boston
,
MA
United States

 

 

 

Kim stepped into the role of family as our world was turned upside down when we became parents during a pandemic.
I gave birth and had my son in April 2020, which was during visitor restrictions due to COVID. With ease, our nursing team stepped in to provide the support that my family would have. Everyone was incredible, but Kim was extra special to us. We were lucky enough to have Kim for 3 out of our 4 days in Mother/Baby. From validating my postpartum emotions to teaching us how to use our car seat, Kim did it all.

She is an amazingly skilled and intelligent nurse, but it’s how she took on the role of our whole family that makes her unforgettable. In the setting of COVID and visitor restrictions, she gave us the emotional support we needed as new, terrified parents. I’ll never forget how she referred to my husband and me as a team and praised us for how well we worked together to meet our new baby’s needs. That mindset really set us up for success going home as new parents- we knew we could do it because Kim told us with confidence that we could. Being new parents is so intimidating!! That confidence from Kim was everything- I’d argue the foundation it created still is everything.

During our stay, when I sent my baby for a procedure, I knew he’d be okay because he was with Kim. When we were excited to watch the Red Sox “with” the baby, Kim would poke her head in to check the score. When we had a lot of disruptions to our sleep overnight, Kim put a sign on the door that no one could enter without going through her first (that sign is in our baby book now)! When she’d enter during a cute snuggly family moment, she’d ask for my phone to take a picture for us. So you see, I really can’t describe one thing because how do you sum up the importance of love and emotional support in one moment? Kim stepped into the role of family as our world was turned upside down when we became parents during a pandemic. I can’t give one example about Kim that shows just how pivotal she was to us in our very first hours and days as parents because that’s not how you describe family, and truly Kim took on the role of our whole family. We are forever grateful to her!