The Real Heroes of the Maternity Wards Aren't the Doctors, They're the Nurses
Delivering a baby is a powerful, life-altering experience that most of us will never forget. Although the mom is the one who, generally, does all the work of labor, having a good support system for delivery is so key. The immediate aftermath can leave us weak and physically vulnerable, which is why we need help after baby arrives as well. After the cord is cut and all our friends and family are off celebrating the baby, it's the labor and delivery nurses who are there for the moms, making sure we're OK every sore, shuffling step of the way.
Jill Krause of the blog Baby Rabies posted a super sweet shout-out on Facebook to all the hardworking labor and delivery nurses out there that will sound familiar to anyone who's done that first post-delivery walk to the bathroom while leaning heavily on the angel that is her nurse. "I'll never forget the faces of the nurses who followed me into the bathroom after delivering each baby," she wrote. "That moment when I was so vulnerable, so tired, scared, shaky. My swollen belly deflating, and my modesty long gone. They treated me with such kindness and dignity."
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This post reminded a lot of moms of the nurses who made a real difference for them.
Krause's words, along with a gorgeous photo by MommaKT Shoots of a nurse helping a brand-new mom in the bathroom, brought up memories for tons of moms. Her post has been shared over 269,000 times and is filled with more than 23,000 comments from women chiming in to share how amazing their own nurses were in helping them during those first few hours after delivery when they were exhausted and dealing with so much that was new and unknown.
Nurses go above and beyond.
In the comments on the viral posts are lots of women recalling all the ways their nurses went above and beyond to take care of them.
As one woman recalled, "This brings tears to my eyes. I remember the names, faces, conversations, and feelings I felt and still feel towards these nurses. You see the doctor for a brief time, but the nurses are the ones who are there through the thick and thin. They are the ones who carried me through some of the most difficult postpartum moments, and yet they are the ones who receive the least praise."
Another mom recalled that her nurses made her feel like a "queen for the day," even as they helped clean her up after she barfed on their shoes.
Still another person shared this tender memory: "My wife had our daughter in May and the nurses she had were amazing to both she and I. Anything either of us needed they got, they answered all my questions and never got annoyed. After birth they showed me how they do the baby's first cleanup and handed her to me while they helped my wife get cleaned up.
"While they helped her another nurse sat down next to me to talk to me about everything to watch for in both our new baby and my wife, from depression to severe bleeding and even how to help her change her pads if she needed it," the person continued. "They were amazing and made us feel that it wasn't just one of us there but both of us seeing the birth of our new baby."
Nurses also chimed in to share what they love about working in labor and delivery, and it was so touching.
One nurse chimed in that "Working post partum as an RN was one of my favorite jobs in nursing. Ministering to them after the trauma they'd been through, was a privilege. Such a sweet time when parents are eager to learn how to care for their newborn infants."
Krause goes on to explain that although she might not have known her nurses personally, having them with her during such an emotional time made her feel like part of something bigger.
"For me, these have been moments of empowerment and confirmation that I have a real village to help me, even if just for that little bit of time in a bathroom, on a toilet, while a kind nurse shows me how to put an ice pad on my mesh undies."
Yes, we love our OBs and all that they do to care for our babies, and we're forever grateful for their hard work in helping our little ones make it from our bellies to the bassinet. But to the nurses who remember that Mom's a patient too, who make us feel less embarrassed by our bodily fluids, and who help us get comfortable after the longest day of our lives: We couldn't do it without you.
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