From the article: 5 Tips for Getting Along with Your Labor and Delivery Nurse
Labor and delivery nurses work their buns off. They typically manage more than one patient, multiple doctors and act as a go between for you and your practitioner. They have to quickly fill a need both medical and social in an intense, but special time. So what are you planning to do to celebrate your labor and delivery nurse, if anything? Flowers? Cookies for the whole nursing staff? Great evaluations? (This same question can also be asked about assistant or apprentice midwives.) Share Your Thoughts
Great Ideas!
- Thanks for the great ideas. Thank heavens we live in an era when nurses, doctors, and all of their knowledge of medical science result in safer deliveries and healthier families.
- —Guest Freida
Thank you gestures
- Might I suggest something other than candy, cakes, and sugary sweets. Nurses eat poorly during their shifts, so how about sending a fruit/muffin/bagel basket... something easy and health to eat on the go.
- —Guest Tammy
Basket of chocolates
- We took a big basket of chocolates (miniature candy bars, Kisses and the like) to the hospital each time we had a baby. We kept the basket in my LDR room so I was frequently "checked on" while I was in labor. Once we moved to the Mother-Baby unit - the basket sat at the nurses' station (to give us some peace and quiet!). I also took tubes of a great unscented hand cream - nurses can't use scented hand cream and they wash their hands so much that hand cream is a wonderful thing for them.
- —a_half_dozen_eggs
what to get a hard working RN
- It is always appropriate to write a letter to the nurse or facility of that RN to give them a good pat on the back. I have been a hard working RN going on 6 years now expecting my first and it is always a compliment to make sure that the head nurse of the floor knows how pleased you are with your care. You often get food, which only expands your waistline, a good pat on the back can be healthier and more influential to your nurse in the long run.
- —Guest kelli
Have your baby at home and avoid this
- Start your IV? Fetal monitor? Doppler? Just avoid the hospital in the first place. You do not need a L&D nurse. You are not sick you are having a baby. Do your research and take control of your birth. This something your body knows how to do. Nurses are great if you are sick. But absolutely not necessary for having a baby.
- —Guest Bonnie
Muffins and Evaluations
- I always think it's a great idea to bring food to overworked nurses. They are happy to have something to eat - they probably haven't sat down all day - and it also shows them that you want to make nice. This way, they are more open to the things you want. After the birth, I wrote a really nice evaluation on the little cards sitting around the hospital. I wrote specifics - I wanted them to know what I appreciated, a good spirit, compassionate care, time and flexibility, etc. Also, on the hospital evaluation mailed to me after the birth, I specifically wrote out the nurses' names and what they did that was helpful. Hopefully it got back to them!
- —maelli3
I wasn't prepared.
- I wasn't prepared with how much she helped, even though she wasn't in the room much. She followed our birth plan and worked well with our doula. So our doula did the hands on and the nurse did the fending off from outside the room. We did bring a cookie cake for all the nurses, but I think that the best thing you can do is to write a not to the nursing supervisor and mention a great nurse by name, maybe even ask that it goes in her file.
- —Guest Nola
