Why You’ll Never Forget Your Labor and Delivery Nurse

Each and every labor and delivery story is unique, but through it all there is usually one woman there supporting you every step along the way, taking care of you and your miracle. Your labor and delivery nurse. Make sure to thank her. 

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The room was cold and bright with fluorescent lights. So bright I could barely keep my eyes open.

Everything felt so sterile. And indeed it was as I laid my eyes on all the medical tools and equipment surrounding me in the operating room.

She took my hand and gave me a pillow to hold over my stomach, as the anesthesiologist instructed me to arch my back in cat pose.

I was terrified of this moment, as years of chronic back pain filled my mind while he pricked several points on my spine looking for the right spot to inject the needle.

And when the burning sensation came, I moaned in anguish.

Words From a Labor & Delivery Nurse That Got Me Through It

But there she was offering her arms and chest for me to cling to. So I did. I wrapped my arms around her body and pressed my face onto her chest, hugging her tightly, as she reiterated the simplest but impactful words.

“Relax and just go with it. You’re doing great.”

I needed her at that moment. Her encouraging words, her physical support, her presence.

I didn’t plan on having a c-section, but it was medically necessary so I had to face the music and get the spinal tap I so desperately feared.

Alone. Because it’s a procedure where they make your significant-other wait outside the room. No one is there to be your moral support and encouragement during this terrifying moment. No one except your nurse, who at that moment almost becomes family, as you learn to rely on her for every physical and emotional support called for.

And then as your body becomes numb and you’re strapped down, arms open with blanket separating you and baby, there she remains by your side, during that dreaded surgery.

So despite the fear and anxiety that encompassed me, her words, “Relax and just go with it,” remained with me to give me strength, until I met my baby boy!

Thank You, Nurses

Nurses play such an essential role throughout every moment of a mom’s labor and delivery. Even though the perception may be that nurses are just there as a backup to assist doctors, they are actually front and center in most cases. Their dedication to providing the best care is seen from the onset, as they do whatever it takes to get you through the experience.

In fact, nurses do their job so well that you start tossing out any insecurities or shame you may have brought with you and simply learn to trust them.

From guiding you through whatever type of delivery you have, to showing you how to swaddle and feed baby, nurses leave a deep, long-lasting impression that remains with you, long after the hospital stay.

You’ll Never Forget A Good Nurse

• They’re the unsung hero always willing to do what is best for you and baby.
• They are there at a moment’s call.
• They see you at your worst and are still willing to do the dirty work to help you heal.
• They hold you if you need to be held.
• They care for your newborn baby in the gentlest manner.
• They go above and beyond like no one else.
• They often don’t get the recognition they deserve.
• You won’t forget how they made you feel and how they cared for your baby.

There are probably a million reasons you’ll never forget your labor and delivery nurse…but the ONE real reason you can truly never forget her is because she was exactly what you needed to survive.

Remember to thank the nurses who have supported your birth.

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In honor of National Nurse’s Appreciation Week, Pampers is celebrating the essential role nurses play during those early moments between newborns and parents. The first annual Thank You Nurses campaign, in partnership with the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), honors nurses across three award categories: Labor & Delivery, NICU and Postpartum.

And Pampers Swaddlers is announcing a grand prize nurse honoree to acknowledge her dedication and commitment to making life better for babies and new parents.

Labor & Delivery nurse, Anne Gallagher, was selected as the Pampers Swaddlers #ThankYouNurses Award Grand Prize honoree! Anne has been a nurse for 38 years and is currently a nurse at the University of Illinois Hospital. She focuses on empowering moms to form special bonds with their newborns.

This review was made possible by iConnect and Pampers.  I was provided compensation to facilitate this post, but all opinions stated are 100% mine.