Erin C Kukay
March 2023
Erin C
Kukay
,
RN
PNU
Elmendorf AFB Hospital
JBER
,
AK
United States
She coached me through the entire birth and exuded a level of compassion that I had never experienced before but was something I desperately needed in that moment. She got me through my delivery.
I came into L&D expecting to be checked out and sent home. After a couple of hours (and cervical checks) later, I wasn’t, in fact, going home. I was having a BABY! As you can imagine, the shift from thinking you had 3 more weeks of pregnancy to all of a sudden “you’re having a baby” is quite a shift and honestly pretty scary, but for some reason, I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t scared because I had Erin. From the second she stepped in the room, she brought kindness and confidence, and compassion that instantly made me feel as if everything was going to be okay. Things escalated VERY quickly, and there was no time for any medication (despite my dramatic pleases, ha-ha). I vividly remember looking over at Erin in between pushes, crying, and telling her I couldn’t do it. With the same level of calmness that she carried all morning, she looked me in the eyes, rubbed my back, and told me I could do it. She coached me through the entire birth and exuded a level of compassion that I had never experienced before but was something I desperately needed in that moment. She got me through my delivery.
Post delivery (sorry for the graphics), I was covered in blood, guts, and bodily fluid, and I was honestly a little shell-shocked that I went from feeling fine to having a baby in a matter of like an hour. She went into the bathroom with me to help me get cleaned up. As you can imagine, it's quite a vulnerable and uncomfortable experience having virtually a stranger help you wash off all that stuff and help you use the bathroom, but Erin didn’t feel like a stranger, she made me feel so safe, loved and taken care of in that extremely vulnerable moment and its something ill never ever forget.
Almost a year later, I still think of Erin often. I think about how I couldn’t have done what I did without her. I think about her love and kindness; I think about how her knowledge and confidence made me feel so safe. Erin is an incredible human being, and I feel so lucky to have met her. She is an angel on earth that got me through one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. This world needs more Erins.
Post delivery (sorry for the graphics), I was covered in blood, guts, and bodily fluid, and I was honestly a little shell-shocked that I went from feeling fine to having a baby in a matter of like an hour. She went into the bathroom with me to help me get cleaned up. As you can imagine, it's quite a vulnerable and uncomfortable experience having virtually a stranger help you wash off all that stuff and help you use the bathroom, but Erin didn’t feel like a stranger, she made me feel so safe, loved and taken care of in that extremely vulnerable moment and its something ill never ever forget.
Almost a year later, I still think of Erin often. I think about how I couldn’t have done what I did without her. I think about her love and kindness; I think about how her knowledge and confidence made me feel so safe. Erin is an incredible human being, and I feel so lucky to have met her. She is an angel on earth that got me through one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. This world needs more Erins.