I recently delivered my second baby and had a completely different experience from my first. I went into my delivery day already full of anxiety because I needed a planned C-section due to my baby being breech, and this was different than my first birthing experience. When I arrived at the postpartum unit post op, I met Caroline, who was my nurse for the day shift. Caroline ended up being my nurse for the 3 days I was in the hospital and discharged me home.

She was so great about staying on top of my pain control, even when I didn't think I needed it. She had the experience of a postpartum nurse and a mother, which really helped me through my hospital stay. Caroline's knowledge and skills were evident, and I can say she saved my life due to this knowledge. During my discharge education with Caroline, where she took her time and clearly went over all instructions, she taught me about postpartum preeclampsia and the signs to look out for if I were to experience this, and how long after delivery it could last. Part of me naively thought I had no issues with this during my pregnancies or post op, so I probably don't need to know this, but it still stuck with me clearly due to her excellent education.

About a week after I was discharged and before my postpartum follow-up visit, I had one random morning of the faintest blurry vision that could have been easily confused for something being in my eye. I remembered Caroline's instructions, and I borrowed a blood pressure machine from my neighbor. My blood pressure was extremely high, something I had never experienced before. I immediately got hold of my OB and went back to the hospital to be treated. Caroline sticks out as an exceptional nurse, and I will forever be grateful to her for educating me on the importance of not ignoring these symptoms that could have led to a very poor outcome for me.