From the moment she entered my room, she was honest. She told me exactly what to expect from her and what the plan was. She had the perfect balance of no-nonsense and care for everyone in the room. She had a plan in place from the start and made us feel confident that, if there was any chance I could deliver naturally, she would try every trick in the book to make it happen. She wasn’t going to give up on me. One of my favorite things she said was, “You’re going to hate me, but I’m going to turn you like a rotisserie chicken!” Throughout the process, she would educate me on what each position was and why it was beneficial. She took time to make sure I was as comfortable as possible. She also educated my family and me on my contraction patterns and how they indicated my baby’s position. Every time she came into my room, she wouldn’t just pop in quickly; she would spend time with my family and me. She took the time to get to know each of us. Her sense of humor eased the stress of labor. One of my biggest fears about delivering at Mary Lanning rather than my hometown hospital was not being able to deliver with nurses I know and love. She made me forget that fear altogether. She made me feel as though I was being cared for by family rather than just a random nurse.

After 13 hours of labor, my provider was starting to suggest that I consider a C-Section. I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do or what the best choice was. She came in and talked to me. She didn’t try to pressure me into any kind of decision; she just reassured me that she had tried everything. She reminded me that no matter what, our goal was to have a healthy baby and a healthy mom, and that not everything would go to plan. Something about that conversation made me feel confident that, although I was scared of a C-Section, I had to make the best choice for the safety of myself and my baby. Her shift had ended before my C-Section. However, the very next day, we were so excited for her to get back to meet our baby boy. She was just as excited to meet him. As my family came in to meet him, we were also excited to introduce them to her! Every member of my family loved her and would sing her praises! She really did make a connection with our entire family, and especially me, during my stay at Mary Lanning. She saw my fears and knew exactly what to say or do to make sure I had nothing to be afraid of. She truly went above and beyond my expectations for a nurse. I can’t imagine anyone more deserving of a DAISY Award than her.