A Nurse's Wisdom & Practical Advice on Delivering a Baby During Covid-19 with Katie Mears | Episode 077
“you are exactly the types of families that get us as nurses out of bed every morning. You give our work meaning and purpose.
You’re the reason that, in the middle of a pandemic, we leave our families behind and report to work each morning because we know God has given us the talent and the knowledge and the compassion to be there for you in both your joy and your pain.”
KATIE MEARS,
labor & delivery nurse
Delivering a baby during this season of Covid-19 feels scary, in all the uncertainties and all the sacrifices. But for a mom delivering a baby with a life-limiting diagnosis or a baby that will be born sleeping -- this is extra hard. It’s loss upon loss. And for the mom who is delivering a baby after having experienced loss this feels extra hard. The anxiety is already heightened and the extra feelings of helplessness and lack of control only add to the weightiness of the moment. Knowing all of those things -- knowing that this moment is especially difficult for many of you listening, I wanted to bring my friend Katie Mears onto the podcast. She has been a labor and delivery nurse for over 15 years and has an enormous heart for women like you. Women who will say goodbye to their baby after just meeting them. Women whose baby will only live for a short time or women whose baby have already been born into heaven.
In this episode she talks about what you might expect from your hospital — what we are seeing on the news feels scary and I asked her to be honest about the conditions there. Obviously she can only speak for the hospital where she serves but what she has to say will likely bring you a lot of encouragement and peace if you are expecting to deliver soon. She helps us understand how to be best prepared to deliver during this season, what questions we should be asking to our medical personnel and even what to bring to the hospital to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Her wisdom and practical advice and overall love for women who are in this situation is incredibly encouraging and comforting. She offers freedom when she says “never be afraid to ask questions and speak up. Just because your providers are doing things one way doesn’t mean it cant be done a different way.” She reiterates over and over again that the nurses and medical team are there to serve you, they want to help, that they care. And stay tuned all the way to the end — Katie’s last sentiments to you is incredibly hope filled and comforting.
One more thing, if you know you or someone you know will be delivering a baby during this season of Covid-19 and all of the hospital restrictions, make sure to check out our free photography guide with tips and checklists for photographing your baby when a professional photographer can’t be present. This guide was created in partnership with Laura Foote, a professional photographer and volunteer photographer with the organization Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. She walks you through the process step by step, making it as simple as possible so you can have the memories of your baby forever documented. You can find that free resource by clicking here.
meet the guest
Katie mears
For over 15 years she has served women as a labor and delivery nurse. Here what she says about her work:
“I’ve chosen to really dive into this work by being a part of our bereavement committee that plans our memorial service each year for babies lost at our hospital and, most recently, our perinatal palliative care team which cares for families who have received a life-limiting diagnosis in the prenatal period. Because of my love for this population, I’ve become a certified palliative care RN. As a believer, I feel like I have something even more to offer to patients. I’ve had the opportunity to share with families pieces of my own story that have made me who I am today and even pieces of my testimony. I’ve prayed with families and prayed over them with coworkers. I do it because I truly consider it a calling, not a job.”
notable moments
a message to our nurses
we are grateful for you
BRITTANY: I wouldn’t have made it through the night without my labor and delivery nurses the night I lost my twin boys at 20 weeks.
CHELSEA: Literally would have never survived the night without my nurse. To this day we are close friends, and get our kiddos together for play dates. I will never forget her, and she has the most special place in my heart.
FERNANDA: I wouldn’t have spent the time I did with my baby if it wouldn’t have been for one of my nurses. I had no idea what to expect and she just let me know that it would be ok, took pictures even though I had hesitated, and they just knew how lost I was and held my hand through it all.