Supportive Staff in the Delivery Room [Mackenzie Siegling]

Video Transcript

My name is Mackenzie and this is Jack. I'm from Sioux Falls, and we moved to Brookings about two years ago. I'm a second-grade teacher. We love to spend time with our family. Our favorite season is summer. We go to the lake. Both our families have lake homes and we're big water people, and just spending time with our loved ones.

How was your delivery?

My water broke in the morning at work, and then the whole process from that point on until delivery went pretty smoothly. When it came time to actually deliver Jack, we noticed that his cord was wrapped very tightly around his neck, and at that point, Dr. Bennis delivered him quickly. You know, every mom or parent hopes and wishes for that first cry and we didn't hear that right away because of his cord. He unfortunately wasn't breathing, so they had to rush him over and assist with his breathing. They had to resuscitate him and it took about two to three minutes before he took that first breath on his own, but after that, he was fine. He's healthy and it was just that first two to three minutes were a bit scary for us.

How did the staff respond during the emergency situation?

They reacted quickly and professionally. It was like all hands were on deck. We noticed that, which was very reassuring, it was within seconds that there were additional nurses, lab, x-ray, anesthesia, and Dr. Eichens was up there within minutes too. They just took immediate action and they helped him breathe with and after about, like I said, two to three minutes, he was on his own and we couldn't ask for a better situation with what was happening. Everybody knew exactly what to do. It was almost as if they had, you know, you could tell they had prepped for this type of situation.

How did the staff keep you informed?

They gave us enough information to kind of calm our nerves, but they didn't give us too much to where I was super nervous. Obviously, you know something is going on, but they were calm enough to help me stay calm, because I had just delivered him, so I had all those emotions going on as well. I can't speak enough about how professional everybody stayed and how supportive everybody stayed throughout that process.

How is Jack today?

It was about an hour until I was able to hold him, but after that point, he did a great job. He's been healthy. He's a chunky one month-old with a full head of hair. He really is doing very well.

How was your relationship with your physician?

My first was born five weeks early, so it was a big concern of mine if Jack was going to be early. She had a plan and put it into action, and they were in contact with me the whole time. Dr. Bennis and her team were very attentive, very open, very personable.

How was your care during delivery?

When it came time to being at the hospital, they went above and beyond. Offering massages, the food was great, they were welcoming to my family. It just felt like from the minute I walked in to the minute I left that everybody was just very supportive and very positive.

What care did the staff provide after delivery?

That first postpartum visit was wonderful because it kind of reassured me that, "Okay, we're doing this right. I know he's making the progress that he should." And it was just very helpful and reassuring. My experience with Jack is a little bit different than it was with my first baby because it was early, so I didn't have the same experience when it comes to breastfeeding. They did a great job of kind of understanding what I had been through before and knowing that I'm familiar with it but that this will be a different experience and they were very helpful.

How did your first delivery, at another hospital, compare to Brookings Health System?

Here at Brookings, it was much more personable. With Noah being early, that was a concern of mine and Dr. Bennis did a wonderful job of taking that into action and saying, "Okay, this is our plan. This is what we're going to do going forward. Every pregnancy's different, but this is what we're going to do." I just felt that she really knew that that was a big thing for me and that I needed to be reassured that everything was going to be okay.

What do you think of the hospital expansion and renovation?

Facilities are beautiful. The rooms are big and inviting and welcoming. There's a Jacuzzi in the bathroom. I mean, you can't get much better than that. But really, it's just beautiful. Everything is very welcoming and warming.

What did you appreciate most about Brookings Health System?

Everybody is just so kind and considerate. And really, you do feel like you are the only one there even though you know you're not. But they just make you feel comfortable. And I think that's the biggest thing for me, is that I did feel comfortable throughout the entire process.

What would you tell others considering delivery at Brookings Health System?

The facilities are beautiful. The people, the staff, the doctors, they're all very talented. And it's reassuring that you have that just a mile from your home, just to have all of that accessible to you just so close to home.