Reassuring Care in the Delivery Room

My name is Morgan, and I work at South Dakota State University as the program coordinator and retention advisor for the American Indian Student Center. 
 
Tell us about your daughter

My daughter's name is Clara Marie Ausborn. She will actually be two months tomorrow, so time has gone very, very fast.

Why did you choose Brookings Health System for delivery?

I was just really impressed with how hard they worked to kind of make that experience about me. You know, they weren't just kind of brushing off my concerns when I would come to them with probably the most stupidest things ever, but they were just like, you know, being very kind and patient, and answered all my questions right away, and, you know, weren't just kinda like, "Oh, no, you're fine." Because to me, I wasn't, so, you know, it was really nice to have that reassurance. 
 
How was your relationship with Dr. Gudvangen?

I adore Dr. Gudvangen. Like, we had such an amazing experience, and he was really reassuring. He, like, really told me everything that was happening. You know, it wasn't like he was trying to be like, "Oh, yeah, you know this." It was, you know, a very, again, reassuring, it was very reassuring to have somebody who was very upfront about the things that were happening, what's happening, what was going to happen, and very encouraging. So him and his nurse, Mandy, were amazing, and me and my husband both were very impressed with the experience. 
 
How did the staff support you during delivery?

I felt like I was being listened to, which, to me, was a huge deal, because, again, going through new experiences and, you know, not really...and these are huge life-changing experiences. So being felt like people were actually listening and taking you seriously, or taking me seriously, during the process was very helpful. You know, I had a situation, and I was probably about 33 weeks, and I actually got really, really dehydrated, and I was hospitalized overnight. First time I ever stayed in a hospital overnight, so I was like that in itself was interesting. But, you know, they took really good care of me, and they didn't judge me for the fact that, oh, I probably wasn't drinking enough water, which if you know the doctor, it was his big thing. And I was like, "Don't tell him. Don't get me in trouble." But, you know, they were very, very understanding, and, you know, they really did make an extra effort. 
 
How was your husband included during pregnancy?

Really made a point of trying to come to all of my appointments with me, and, you know, Dr. Gudvangen would talk to him, and Mandy would talk to him, and it wasn't like he was being ignored through the whole process. So I think it made it easier for him, too. Him being a first-time dad, and sometimes, too, they forget that it's just as worrisome for them going through those experiences, too, especially if they don't know what's going on. 
 
How was your delivery?

You know, Clara wasn't due until December 19th, so she actually came three weeks early. So that was really intense because, you know, just labor came on very suddenly, and it was like, "Okay, now, these contractions have started. We have to go to the hospital." We got there, and they got us in. We were up in the delivery room, and it was like I had a whole team. Like, suddenly, there were all these women who were there, who were telling me, "Yes, you can do this, and you're gonna be amazing," and before I knew it, you know, I was pushing, and then there she was. Then that was just like, just that fast. I felt like I had, like, all these people who were on my team, and I loved that. And looking back, I think that that made all the difference. 
 
How was your postpartum recovery?

Afterwards, you know, we were at the hospital, and then they helped really get me set to go out the door and made sure that me and baby were both healthy and ready to go, which I thought was really important, because I had had some issues right away after she was born. And they did a great job. It just went fast, you know, and I wasn't ready for when it was time to go back to work. But it was really good. 
 
What did you appreciate most about Brookings Health System?

They were just all about wanting to help and answer questions and, you know, just coming and chatting with me about, you know, how I was feeling, how I was doing, how did I, you know, feel about having baby and how was husband. So they were invested and interested in what was happening, so I really appreciated that because it just made me feel very comfortable.

Would you recommend Brookings Health System?

I would definitely recommend Brookings Hospital. It was great, you know, and I had such a wonderful experience. There are so many great individuals who work there and so many great individuals who work in labor and delivery. So, you know, every one of them that I met or came in contact with were very pleasant, and warm, and welcoming and just wanted to help however they could, so that was great.