Recently, a woman made a social media post about her twin sister, Caty. Caty is a labor and delivery nurse, one who works for so many hours and shifts in a row that it’s hard to keep up with. Sometimes she barely has any time to take a break or eat a meal and take care of herself. But she gets such a thrill out of helping to deliver babies to anxious parents. There is little that compares to bringing a healthy, new life into the world.
One day, after many long hours of work, Caty stopped by her sister’s house for a bite to eat. But as she sat in the chair to eat the meal, she suddenly broke down. It had definitely been one of those days.
This is what Caty’s sister posted about that day: “This picture is from a night back in July where she came to my house after a particularly hard day. She delivered a stillborn. Have you guys ever really thought about what a labor and delivery nurse sees?
They see great joy in smooth deliveries and healthy moms and babies. They see panic and anxiety when a new mom is scared. They see fear when a stat c-section is called. They see peace when the mom has support from her family, because not all new moms do. They see teenagers giving birth. They see an addicted mom give birth to a baby who is withdrawing. They see Child Protective Services come. They see funeral homes come. Did you know that they have to make arrangements for the funeral home to come pick up the baby? I didn’t either.
Caty, and all other nurses, you are SPECIAL. You bless your patients and their families more than you will ever know. Thank you for all that you do.”
