Britney Weiner

Britney Weiner’s Story

Britney Weiner’s two children—3-year-old McKenna and 6-week old Louis—were born on opposite sides of the country. And, says the 30-year-old teacher who lives in Campbell County, the experience of giving birth to Louis at the Family Birth Place at St. Elizabeth was like night and day compared to McKenna’s birth in California, where she and her husband, then in the U.S. Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton, were living.

The difference began when she checked in for a planned C-section. “The pre-op nurse greeted me with such friendliness—she was like, ‘hey girl! How are you? Let’s get started’—I honestly thought I must have already known her!” says Britney. “She was so comforting and welcoming, and she talked us through the whole process, so nothing that happened was a surprise.” A scare—the baby’s heartbeat suddenly plummeted—meant her surgery quickly became urgent. Still, that same nurse remained by Britney’s side, holding her while she got an epidural and continuing to explain everything that was happening around her in the scary minutes before her husband was allowed in the room. “The nurse anesthetist was amazing, too,” adds Britney, who says that even with the hectic pace, the procedure went smoothly.

Early Mother-Baby Contact

After baby Louis emerged healthy and perfect—it turned out there was a knot in his umbilical cord, the reason for the sudden distress—he was quickly wiped off and “placed right on my chest,” says Britney, where she and her husband were able to hold him. The remainder of the surgery took 20 to 25 minutes, she recalls, and then there were the two hours spent in the recovery room. All that time the newborn remained in his mother’s arms. “I didn’t know they did that at St. Elizabeth, and I was so moved by it. We got to have skin-to-skin contact,” says Britney.

Staff explained to her that the hospital’s policy is to hold off on bathing a newborn for several hours, in favor of allowing new mothers to foster that first, precious bond. Having a surgical birth, Britney learned to her delight and gratitude, is no reason to not follow that protocol.

Once in her private room, Britney was impressed again when her nurses would discuss her care during shift change, giving updates right at the bedside. “It was nice that I could be a part of that conversation,” says Britney.

Extraordinary Nurses

Adding to the parade of “wonderful” staff was Britney’s night nurse, Meredith. “You normally don’t like the nights with a new baby, but by the second night I was actually looking forward to seeing Meredith! She was easygoing and funny and so knowledgeable and helpful.” Case in point: “My husband is really tall and those pull-out chairs they have in the hospital to sleep on just aren’t big enough for him. Meredith went and found him a cot and some linens so he could stay with me.” That small gesture meant the world to the couple.

Nursing her new baby was a priority for Britney, and in the several days she spent at the Family Birth Place, “I think I had the lactation consultant in my room a couple of times a day!” Not only that, but after she was home and had some other common nursing issues that left her in tears, she was amazed to discover that not only could she get help over the phone—she was welcome to come back in for one-on-one help—no charge.

“I can’t say enough how wonderful everyone was to me,” says Britney, who is originally from Campbell County. Moving back after the family’s stint in California occurred for a number of reasons linked to her husband leaving the military, but giving birth to her second child at St. Elizabeth was a welcome result of coming home.