First-time expectant mother, 33-year-old Erin DeRose, RN, spent months planning the birth of her baby back home in Chicago. As a pediatric intensive care nurse manager, she was very particular about where she wanted to deliver her child.
Erin had a smooth pregnancy, staying physically active with exercise classes and daily runs. Feeling healthy and thinking there were weeks left until the baby was due, Erin took a short trip to her family’s Michigan lake house. She was 35 weeks pregnant, and a full-term pregnancy is typically 40 weeks. But her baby had other plans.
She awoke with a strange feeling in the middle of the night. Alerting her family, they started the drive back to Chicago. But the farther they travelled, the more the contractions intensified. They decided to return to Michigan realizing they would not be able to make it back to Chicago in time for the delivery.
“My sister started calling around to find a hospital,” said Erin. “I wanted a hospital that had the resources to take care of my son and me in the event there were complications, since he was going to be born prematurely. Spectrum Health Lakeland was the only hospital that had a pediatrician and obstetrician on call, and a level 1 nursery.”
When Erin arrived at the hospital in St. Joseph, she was terrified and anxious. But team members at the BirthPlace were calm, kind, and reassuring.
At one point, Erin’s mother noticed there were only nurses in her room. As a chief nursing officer at a community hospital in Chicago, she took note of the exceptional care they were providing, reassuring Erin they were in great hands.
“Maybe it was coincidence, but it certainly worked out in our favor,” said Erin. “At that moment, it was a reminder of the compassion nurses display with one another and just what I needed to hear.”
In Chicago, Erin had been seeing a certified nurse midwife regularly for her prenatal care.
“I was very happy that a midwife was available to deliver my baby, just as I had hoped and planned for,” said Erin.
After her son, Jack, was born, he had to stay a few more days at the hospital to be observed. Although Erin was discharged, she was thankful that she could stay at the hospital with him, allowing her to bond and keep breastfeeding.
“Afterwards I thought, this was a blessing in disguise,” Erin said. “Had he been born at the hospital in Chicago, I would have been expected to go home without him after my discharge, and that would have really broken my heart.”
Beyond her experiences with the caring and dedicated team at the BirthPlace, Erin commented on the complimentary “breakfast in bed,” an extra meal from nutrition services offered at no-cost to all mothers.
“I had never heard of the breakfast in bed option because it isn’t something many hospitals provide; I really appreciated it,” said Erin. “Everyone who cared for me was very pleasant, from the providers to the nutrition services team. I could tell they really loved their jobs and wanted to be there because of the high level of care they provided me.”
As a nurse herself, Erin knows how stressful it has been working in health care over the past several years. She was impressed with how Spectrum Health Lakeland team members continuously showed passion for their work and collaboration with one another.
“I feel grateful for the level of care my baby and I received,” said Erin. “Everyone took the time to make sure I understood my care options.”
Since returning home to Chicago, the DeRose family is doing well.
Erin’s advice to new and expecting parents, find a hospital with great resources that also keeps you well-informed of care and services available, should unexpected complications arise. Sometimes things may not go as planned, it is important to feel comfortable and open with your entire care team.