A Letter to my Nightshift Nurse
When the hospital staff wheeled me from the ER to the labor and Delivery unit, you were waiting for me at my door. I remember your soft smile and empathetic eyes. You said, “Hi Kelsey, I’m so sorry we have to meet under these circumstances.” I instantly knew that you would take good care of me.
I was so unprepared to give birth. I thought I still had 4 months left and was planning on taking some classes in my final trimester. You talked me through every contraction, reminding me to breathe deeply, even though I just wanted to scream. It was comforting knowing that at least someone in the room could guide me through this.
I was so embarrassed by how helpless I felt. I had to ask you to help me pee in a bedpan! Gross. But through it all, I just felt so loved by you. It reminded me of the way a helpless and hurt child feels with their mother taking care of them. I had no idea what I needed, but you were there for me every step of the way.
Uriah was born at 11:27 pm. You put him on my chest and took some family pictures for us. You continued to check on me throughout the night and came in the next morning with a gift for us. While I tried to sleep that night, you had made a memory box with Uriah’s footprints inside and noted his birth date, time of birth, his height, and his weight. You wrote me a card and included some resources you thought I might be interested in. The thought of you working on that during the night while also taking care of me added to my gratitude for you.
That next day was so hard. You left that morning and I was so irritated to have other people now helping me in my room. They turned out to be great, but that morning transition was rough. Something I loved was that the night after Uriah was born, we were still in the hospital and you had another night shift. You were assigned to a different area than we were in, but you still came to my room to check on me.
You shared with me your own story of infant loss and my heart ached that we could now relate to each other in this way. You told me about what your family was like now and how you and your husband helped each other through your heartache. It felt so comforting just to hear that another woman went through this and know that you were functioning well and had a happy family and a fulfilled life. That sounds a little silly to say now, but I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know how I would be able to navigate this.
One of the greatest blessings you gave me was to be able to look at that night and remember feeling loved. Thank you for your selfless work and for giving your all to me in my great time of need. I truly hope there are many more like you, gracefully guiding others through their hard experiences. Thank you