We didn’t plan on welcoming our baby early, but our baby had other plans. We went in for a routine ultrasound that morning to check my amniotic fluid level and were told that we needed to go over to the hospital for fluids since my levels were lower than normal. I headed over to the hospital from my appointment and I wasn’t sure what to expect.

When I got to the labor and delivery unit, everything seemed to happen so fast. They quickly got me and the baby on the monitor and started IV fluids. Soon after they took my vitals, it became apparent they were concerned about my blood pressure. As a first-time mom, I was very stressed and didn’t know what to expect. Everyone on the unit was so kind and reassuring. My vital signs soon stabilized, and we waited to see what the plan would be.

When the night shift came on, Andrea was assigned to us as our nurse for the evening. At this time, there still wasn’t a plan on when our baby would come or if we would get to go home the next day. Around 5:40 PM, Andrea came in with Dr. S and introduced herself as our nurse. Both Dr. S and Andrea stayed for around 40 minutes as Dr. S explained his concerns about waiting to deliver our baby. After talking to him, we decided to proceed with our c-section that evening. As a first-time mom, I was really nervous about having a c-section and having our baby come earlier than planned. Andrea stayed with me after Dr. S left the room to prepare for the c-section. She took the time to explain everything and prepared me for what to expect.

We shared with Andrea that we had rescheduled our maternity pictures for that coming weekend, and I expressed how sad I was that we wouldn’t be able to get them done as we had planned. Andrea suggested we take a few photos before going to the OR so we would have some maternity photos to remember our pregnancy with. I am so grateful we have these pictures, even though they weren’t the maternity photos I had envisioned. In the OR, Andrea stayed close by me and held my hand while they placed my spinal anesthesia. Having her by my side really helped calm my nerves about everything. She ensured that they played Christian music in the OR per my request and even made note of the song that was playing as my daughter was born. It was a small detail, but it was really important to me!

That night, she checked on us often and helped me feed our baby when she was having issues latching. Not only did she help us physically, but she stayed with me when I needed someone to talk to/process the events of the day. After we went home, I received a very nice card from her. Not only did Andrea provide excellent care for me physically, but she also showed her deep care/concern for my mind, body, and spirit. Everyone deserves to have a nurse like Andrea and we are forever grateful for the difference she made for us!