“Mabel wasn’t waiting to arrive, and we’re thankful the team at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital jumped into action to deliver her quickly and safely.
I was expecting my fifth UPMC Magee baby and it was the longest I’d ever been pregnant. I’d had faster than average labor and deliveries in the past, so my doctors suggested inducing labor so it would be a more controlled environment. But I was pretty adamant about letting this baby come on her own.
When I woke up with contractions, I was sure it was the real thing. But I was handling it just fine. I took a shower, packed my hospital bag, and wrote notes for my kids and my mother-in-law, who was on her way. At 5 a.m., I talked to my obstetrician, Dr. Anne Shaheen, and told her I was planning to come in once childcare was settled. She said, “You seem a little too calm. I think you should come in as soon as you can.” Luckily, my husband called a neighbor so we could leave. Google directions said we’d be at Magee in 35 minutes. Mabel was born about 3 minutes after we arrived.
When we got to the hospital, I told my husband to drop me off and park. That was a mistake. I made it as far as the sidewalk. I fell to my knees and knew I had to push.
A wonderful woman in scrubs came to me and said she would get help. That’s when I realized just what an incredible operation and team Magee has. Immediately, a nurse and a security guard came out to assess me and help me into a wheelchair. I was rolled into the lobby and people were everywhere. They had called in a Code OB — an obstetrical emergency — and an entire team responded: pediatricians, NICU nurses, labor and delivery nurses, postpartum nurses, and an anesthesia team. The security team had all three elevators going at once.
As we pulled into the elevator, my water broke. A nurse checked me and said: 'We have a head, we’re ready to go!' I got to the triage floor and my OB came running down the hall.
I ended up nominating a nurse, Marissa Fonzi, for a Daisy Award for nursing excellence. I needed pain management for all my previous births, so this was different. She locked eyes with me and talked me down from panic. She centered me in the chaos and made me realize it would all go well.
I was a bleed risk based on previous pregnancies. I reminded Dr. Shaheen I was concerned about bleeding. That’s when I looked down and realized I already had an IV in the back of my hand in case I needed a transfusion. The incredible Code OB team at Magee had already put it in as we rolled down the hallway without me even noticing.
I felt so taken care of and so safe. I was grateful to be "at Magee where the team was ready and so well prepared for this situation.” – Jessica
