The Little Things

Making the adjustment to Labor and Delivery has come with its own set of challenges for me as a person and a professional. Anxiety filled days of being "the new kid" and missing my home, my friends, and my comfort zone of my previous job. I felt extremely incompetent most days and frustrated and bogged down by those around me questioning my skill and nursing judgment. Sure I've made plenty of mistakes and been under prepared in some situations even working Med/Surg, but the comfort of knowing the people eased a lot of my fears and insecurities. These fears and insecurities have flared up and needless to say makes each day a little more difficult to leave my cute son at home and venture into the big bad world of Labor and Delivery.
 Over the last month things have gotten a little better. I've gotten to know a few doctors and nurses and have had happy, kind, and enjoyable patients.

 There's one patient in particular that I want to remember the experience for the rest of my life...

 A first time mom who pushed for over two hours to only end with a c-section. Her labor experience wasn't as she had planned but her positive attitude to be up for anything as long as her baby was safe made the 2 hour coaching session worth it. Most fathers in the operating room will rush to their baby and take pictures and watch the nurses assess their new son or daughter. When that point arrived I went to the head of the mother and told the husband he was more than welcome to go see his baby girl. His wife grabbed his arm and said, "would you please stay with me?" The sweetness of that one phrase made everything real for me. He was her companion. After the c-section we wheeled her back into her room with her sweet baby girl in her arms. The mother's parents greeted them and her Father (baby's grandfather) burst into tears and kept commenting on how absolutely beautiful she was. The next thing from his mouth caught me offguard. The entire family: Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, and new baby girl. were surrounding the mother's bed as the Grandfather said, "Let us thank He who has blessed us us abundently." Then I turned to witness the family embracing hands as the grandfather let out a prayer of thanks to Our Savior to blessing them with health and strength and a new perfect little baby girl.

 It was at that moment that it all came full circle for me... Obviously I am grateful for my ability to be part of these birth stories, grateful for my family, for the knowledge of the plan of salvation, but at that moment I became overwhelmed with gratitude for my Savior. I am so grateful for the blessings of of Son and soon to be daughter and the ability to get pregnant.