Angelica’s Story
Rounding with Patients: Angelica and Parker’s Story
Angelica wasn’t expecting to have her baby on the day of her last prenatal appointment. But her doctor, concerned about Angelica’s blood pressure, decided that “today is the day.” Angelica drove to St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, Kentucky, and was induced at The Family Birth Place. Hours later, she gave birth to Parker, a beautiful baby boy.
Watch Angelica’s story and read about how the care team helped her through the entire experience. She knew she was in good hands from the first moments of labor to when she nestled Parker in his car seat to go home.
Q: How would you describe your labor and delivery as a first-time mom?
Every mom Angelica knows delivered their babies at The Family Birth Place. But Angelica still wasn’t sure what to expect. “You just don’t know what anything’s going to feel like, what the pain level actually will be,” she says. “The doctors and the nurses helped me and talked me through every step. It was incredibly helpful.”
The care team’s experience level also put Angelica at ease. “Delivering babies is an everyday occurrence for the team — I could tell that nothing was new to them, nothing would surprise them,” she says. “So, it felt like I was in good hands.”
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For more information about the services available through The Family Birth Place, please call (859) 301-2229 (BABY).
Q: What was your most memorable moment during your stay at The Family Birth Place?
In the first 24 hours of life, babies undergo various health screenings for hearing loss, blood disorders and other conditions. Nurses at The Family Birth Place had concerns about Parker’s blood glucose levels.
“The nurses said that if he failed his third blood glucose test, they’d have to take him to the newborn intensive care unit,” Angelica remembers. “I was really anxious, and he wouldn’t stop crying. I was trying to breastfeed, and it wasn’t working. I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing.”
Then, everything started to come together. Results from Parker’s third blood glucose test were normal. The nurses bathed him and swaddled him in a cozy blanket. And they gave him a pacifier to help him get to sleep.
“It was such a huge relief to know he was OK,” Angelica says. “I was able to relax and sleep for a little while after that.”
Nurses at The Family Birth Place love to be there for mom and baby in moments like these, says Ashley Abeling, a post-partum nurse who helped care for Angelica and Parker. “We want moms to lean on us, especially when things get challenging,” Ashley says. “We always tell them, ‘Let us help — we want to be there for you. We have the resources and knowledge to help you and your baby.’”
Q: What was leaving the hospital with Parker like?
Angelica felt worried about leaving the hospital with Parker. But it helped to know she could call The Family Birth Place with questions. “It eased my stress level a lot to know I could reach out to the nurses any time,” she says. “I could have called them on the drive home if I wanted.”
In addition to offering support for new moms on the phone, The Family Birth Place provides Beyond Delivery. The program, led by a team of mother-baby registered nurses and lactation consultants, offers free support, education and connection with other parents during your baby’s first six months of life.
