My husband and I attended the all-day Childbirth Education Class with Tammy in March of this year. For the next few weeks or so, we could not stop talking about what a great opportunity it was and how happy we were to have attended it. It was actually how we spent our anniversary, something we were joking about prior to the class, and then something we celebrated afterward! Tammy made the entire class relaxed by sharing personal stories about her birthing experiences. This gave us the comfort to ask the pressing questions that could have been more difficult had she not been so open, inviting, and compassionate. We left the class that day and went out for a nice dinner. We kept saying "how great would it be if she was our labor nurse?"
Flash forward to June. I was sent from my 38-week appointment in the afternoon to be admitted. I attended this appointment alone, not expecting the physician to say, "you're not going to be pregnant anymore." Walking down to registration from the office I suddenly realized we were about to meet our first baby. It became real to me, which of course was overwhelming and made me a bit panicky! You can imagine the sigh of relief when Tammy walked into my room as my nurse. When my husband arrived, I could tell he was thinking the same thing. Don't get me wrong, every single person we encountered in FBS was absolutely amazing, but what a feeling in an overwhelming situation to see a familiar, comforting face. Tammy had an orientee with her, as well, and it was very obvious that she was a great mentor to her. During the admission process, Tammy explained everything from bedside report to pain control to what would happen after birth and everything in between. The education she provided during that process made me feel prepared and like I could conquer anything. She reviewed much of the information that she had presented in class even.
Our little guy waited for Tammy to return the next day before making his arrival in this world. Throughout the labor process, my husband and I felt extremely comfortable with Tammy. She was so incredibly kind, compassionate, and CALMING. My husband felt strong and confident as my birthing partner by my side because of what he had learned from Tammy at our class in March. One of the most empowering things I learned from Tammy is to have a birth plan and know what you want but to be open-minded that things may change. She educated the class on this and then my husband and I again in two different ways. First, as a labor and delivery nurse, and secondly, from a patient perspective, by telling her story of her first labor experience. I really believe this helped me to accept the changes I made to my birth plan in the heat of the moment. Without Tammy's support both beforehand and in the heat of the moment, I would have probably been disappointed in myself and the changes that occurred. When our baby had to be readmitted the day after we took him home, we saw Tammy in the hallway. Again, her calming, relaxed presence helped us to know everything was just fine.
When I think of a well-rounded nurse, I think of Tammy. She is a nurturer - providing an incredible amount of compassion to her patients and their families. She is an educator - helping patients to ensure understanding of their options and taking the time to teach new nurses. Tammy is a patient advocate - with both providers and visitors. She is a mother - and open to sharing her birth experience, which makes her empathy shine. Tammy truly brings the art and science of nursing to life. As a nurse and a Finley employee, I can honestly say I am honored to be a part of a profession and organization represented by Tammy and the Family Birthing Suites staff.