A Good Nurse Makes All the Difference

Giving birth can be a stressful, painful, nerve-wracking experience for any woman. I've found that one of the most important factors affecting the quality of my birth experiences has been the people who were with me while I labored.

I received little support from the nurse attending my first birth; the labor was long and difficult, and ended in the operating room. After I found out I was pregnant with my second child, the thing that frightened me more than anything else was the thought of having another terrible experience.

Little did I know when I entered the doors of Rapid City Regional Hospital in Rapid City, SD that I would soon meet a nurse who would make all the difference.

The birth of my second child was going far quicker than I thought it would. When my labor signs started early that Monday morning I called my husband and casually told him we would probably meet our baby on Thursday or so and went about my business.

When my husband returned home that evening I had moved my prediction up to Tuesday. I continued to labor at home, watching movies with my four year old and even attending her preschool orientation. After we got home from orientation things began moving very quickly, but I was still in denial about how close I was to giving birth.

By the time we arrived at the hospital, I couldn't even stand to get out of the car. Two orderlies who saw my husband and me struggling at the Emergency Room doors rushed out with a wheelchair and whisked me off to Labor and Delivery.

The Labor and Delivery nurse quickly got me to a bed and assessed me. She was all business, not in a gruff or off-putting way but in the authoritative way that lets you know that you can be calm because this person has their act together and will make sure the crisis passes and everyone arrives safely on the other shore. "You're at 8 centimeters", she said. I was just minutes away from giving birth.

The nurse called for the attending physician, a kindly older man that reminded me of my grandfather. We had never met before, but his gentle manner immediately put me at ease. I began sobbing from the pain, prompting the nurse to check me again. She told me to start pushing. Her words were a blur as my body was racked with seemingly endless contractions and I began screaming.

"Lilly!" her voice shot through the pain and I focused all of my attention on her words, "screaming isn't going to help, you need to tuck your chin to your chest, hunch your body over your belly like a crescent moon and push with all your strength".

I squeezed my eyes shut and moved my thoughts inward, concentrating solely on the nurse's voice. Her calm, steady instructions never faltered and kept me completely focused on the hard work of birthing my baby. "There now, I see his hair," she said soothingly, stroking my back and guiding my pushes, you're almost done now, one big push will do it!"

I held my breath and bore down with everything I had. Something was wrong. The baby didn't move down any further. I tried another strong push, nothing. By now I was exhausted, spent, and the pain was sapping my strength completely. The doctor started calling for emergency preparations. It seemed my worst fear was coming true.

"Wait", the nurse cried out. I suddenly felt her tiny 97 pound frame up on the bed next to me, knees tucked firmly against my side. "Ok, we're going to count to three, and when I say go you go, give the strongest push you have in you, and keep pushing", I was oblivious to everything except the calm, firm voice of the nurse and as my eyes were still squeezed shut I didn't see what happened next. "Ok, now", the nurse told me and I gathered every ounce of strength I had to bear down and push.

Within seconds I felt the delivery of my baby. I fell back on the bed, exhausted but happy, laughing with the relief of it all and from hearing the cries of my newborn son. After cleaning him up, the nurses told me that I had delivered a 9 pound, 4 ounce baby, quite a feat for someone of my small stature.

I held the Labor and Delivery nurse's hand and thanked her through my tears. She had saved me from the forceps, or even more frightening to me, a caesarean section. I didn't know what exactly she had done though until the next day when my husband told me the story. He told me that during those final moments when the nurse told me to start pushing, she stood on the bed next to me then swiftly brought both of her hands down to bear with all of her strength of my left pelvic bone. It seems that my large baby's shoulder was stuck right there but she was able to pry him loose through the strength of her well-placed hands.

This nurse had seen what was happening and quickly determined how she could resolve the situation using only her own strength, and mine. I sat listening to my husband with tears in my eyes, thinking of what might have happened had this exceptional nurse not been there with me. I didn't see her again after I left the delivery room, but I'll never forget the nurse who made all the difference.