I was induced at 37 weeks and she was my first baby, so I was scared. I met Angela the next morning. They had given me some medication the night before, but it didn’t work. I didn’t really want an epidural, but I was in so much pain, and Angela’s top priority was to help me manage the pain in the way I wanted.

She helped me walk around when I wanted to, helped me shower, and got me a birthing ball. She followed everything I said—AMAZINGLY. When I finally cried and decided to get the epidural, she held me through the whole thing because I was terrified.

Then I got Pitocin and the Foley catheter, and I was 10cm in about two hours. Because of my daughter’s IUGR, she was too small, and they couldn’t get my contractions on the monitor. Angela stayed and held my stomach the entire time to tell me when my contractions were, so I could push.

When my daughter was born—right at shift change—Angela stayed to make sure I was comfortable before leaving. Then, before she left, she checked on me again and was generally amazing.

The next day, my husband told me she had come by and saw us on the postpartum ward.