Special Moments begin at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale.  Read below how the experienced caregivers at Memorial Hospital gave these moms a birth moment they will never forget.
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		It was april 25th.that was the day that my water had broke and the day that i was admitted in the hospital.I was in labor for about 12 hours or so.I was taking it pretty well when the contractions started to get really bad.When the nurse told me that i had dilated to 2cm she game me demoral to ease down the pain,so when i finally had gotten to 5cm they had given me my epurdial i slept for a little bit until i started to feel the cotractions again.uh oh! let me remind you that this is my first child.i started to get real scared but the nurse told me that when my epurdial started to wear off they would have the doc come back in to redo the epurdial.so i pushed the button for the nurse, she checked me and told me that i was at 10cm, so i asked am i gonna get another epurdial, suprise she told me no that i needed some feeling. i thought in my head "yeah, some, not all." when i finally started to push i was ok until my baby started to crown,as any first mother with any pain medicine i screamed, but not at my husband or mom,(while the whole time that i was in labor with my son my sisters were on speaker phone listening to me push.)i pushed for about 45 mins. all of the nurses to me that they didnt hear me screaming they just heard my mom and the nurses to push.when he was finally out the cord was wrapped around his head but not bad.i cried because i had waited 9 months to see him and he was finally here!all the pain and the 45mins of pushing was all worth it when i first laid eyes on him  --   J of Colorado Springs
		When I was 29 weeks along, my twins decided to came early. When I arrived at the hospital, Dr. Hartman said I was dilated at eight cm. Baby B was side ways they had to do emergency c-section. That scared my five year old son and dad. Then they took me away. Dad and 5 year old waited for them to come out. Then baby A came out at 3lbs 7oz doing good, baby B came out at 3lbs 2oz not doing so good. He was bruise from head to toe having lots of problems.Iwasn’t able to see them, for a few hours later. But a nurse Deanna, brought me some pictures of them. Then when I was able, I was at nicu all the time. The nurses filled me in on how they were doing. Nurse Lisa was good to my 5 year old son, He was so excited but scared. She came over and talked to him or brought coloring books or toys to keep him occupied. All the nurses are so wonderful in my heart. They all took care of my boys, and treated them like they were their’s. When there were problems they contacted me right away. Baby A stayed in for 8 weeks and 9 weeks on baby B. All the nurses were like one big family. We all go and see the nurses every now then, they all still family to us. Thank you so much you’re all heroes to us.  --   R of Carbondale
		I was very nervous about having a repeat C-section since my first was one of the worst experiences I have ever had.But by time it was half way over I new this time was much different.My C-section was performed by Dr. Sanford. I cant say enough about how great he was. Everyone was so comforting.I really felt cared for by everyone in that room.Once I was taken to my room I was greeted by a nurse (Stearns) she was very personable and so very helpful.If I would have known how great the experience at Carbondale Memorial was going to be I would have had my first child there.   --   S of Pittsburg
		Our daughter was delivered by c-section by Dr. Frank Walker. I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful doctor to take care of my baby & I throughout my pregnancy. He was so great to include my son by letting him turn on the hand held monitor each visit to listen to his little sisters heartbeat. I was very nervous when the nurse came to take me back to the delivery room, but Dr. Walker was already there & that helped me to relax. Hearing my baby girl cry for the first time was one of the most precious moments of my life. My husband & I are so thankful to Dr. Walker for helping us welcome our daughter into our family.   --   M of Sparta
		The birth of my son was truly a special moment I will never forget. Most of the time you don't hear of very many soon to be new mommy's actually delivering on their due date, but for me God had a different plan. On October 3 (my due date) around 2:00 in the morning I started having what I thought was gas pains, actually turned out to be the start of contractions. My contractions was very sparatic between 2:00am and 7:00am, then they started coming a little closer together. Then by 8:30am I called my doctor's office and spoke to a nurse who works for Dr. Tsung and she told me I should pack my bags and head to the hospital. Most people at this point start getting nervous, not me because I knew God was in control of the whole situtation. In route to the hospital I could not of asked for any better care than what my husband was giving me. He was timing my contractions and he pretty much knew when they were going to come and when they were going to let up. I thank God everyday for my wonderful husband Anthony. When we got to the hospital my husband drove me right up to the front door and there was this very sweet old lady who was greeting people and she got me a wheel chair, and wheeled me right over to the admitting desk and stayed there with me till my husband came in. While she was there with me, she kept stroking my shoulder and she was asking me what I was having, and what was the name. Then after I was through signing paperwork (which the young girl was sweet as well), she proceeded in taking me upstairs to an exam room. There I met a really nice young nurse (the name I can't think of) who done a complete exam on me, you know to make sure my water did actually break, if I was dilated and to see how far down the baby was. At that point of her checking me we found out I was dilated to 1 almost 2. Then she proceeded to put my iv in my arm and hook me up to the monitor to make sure the baby's heart beat was ok. After she was finished, she took me to a labor/delivery room where I got hooked up to the baby monitor again and the contraction monitor. My contractions at that point were starting to get stronger and last a little longer and the nurses kept checking me and I was still dilated to 2cm. Then I wasn't progressing like I should of been, and they asked me if I wanted pitocin or did I want to go walk around the halls. I told the nurse I would go and walk, so my husband and I walked and walked. by the time I got back to the room my contractions were very strong. The nurse hooked me back up to the monitor so she thought, but the reading wasn't coming out right and the baby's heartbeat wasn't either. The nurse came in and said she was going to have put a internal monitor on my baby's head, because they thought the baby might have the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck or he might be lying on it. Well come to find out everything was ok. Still, my contractions were coming stronger and stronger. The nurse came in and checked me and I went from 2cm to 7cm in two hours. Then my doctor arrived Dr. Amanda Mulch and told me I could still have an epidural even though I was at 7. At that point I only had 3cm to go. Do I get it or not? I took the advice of my brother who is a certified paramedic and he told me I should. Normally they would not let anyone stay in the room with someone while it is being administered, but the wonderful staff opted to let my brother stay in the room with me. I could definately tell I had God right there with me, because I could not even feel the guy put the needle in my back. After getting back in bed and trying to get settled I felt a lot of pressure coming on. The kind of pressure where you need to push, I knew it was time. My husband ran out of the room down the hall after the doctor, and all the nurses were running around getting everything set up as fast as they could. Then I started pushing and another doctor I also see Dr. Tsung came in and he said he would be back as soon as he got his scrubs on and all the nurses and Dr. Mulch kept telling me to push the baby out before Dr. Tsung came back in the room and sure enough my baby boy was born at 6:00pm weighing 6lbs. 10.4 ounces and 20 inches long. I didn't get to see my baby for a little bit because in the process of me having him I had a 4 tear, so the doctor had to stitch me up quick before I lost to much blood. Then it was time for me to see the little miracle that God allowed my husband and I to have. He was the most perfect little baby, and knowing he was mine brought tears to my eyes. That was the first special moment. I want to thank all the nurses in the labor and delivery room that day who helped in bringing my son into the world. Then on the way to the mother/baby unit my second special moment occured, they let me ring the lullaby bell so everyone would know that another special delivery had occured. While in the mother/baby unit the nurses were so wonderful they would come and take the baby to nursery when I needed them to and when I needed something the nurses were very prompt. The one nurse that really sticks out in my mind is Beverly Smith. She gave my son and I excellent care. If the world had more people like her in it, it would be a much better place. My birthing experience at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale was wonderful from the beginning when I arrived, and to the end when I was released. Thank You!!!!!  --   M of Benton
		It was real good. My baby had a hard starting off he was in there a week after I came home. The Nurses was good to us and the Doctors was good to us. Because you look at him now and it looks like he wasn't ever sick. He was in speicial Care Nursery. They were so good to us and the family. Thank you for everything  --   P of Carterville
		We found out we were pregnant with our second child in February of 2006 which put his due date in October. things started off well then came the unending morning sickness, bladder infections and hives. By the end of April Dr Hartman had taken me off work for the remainder of my pregnancy due to elevated blood pressure and my Crohns disease which was beginning to complicate things. Most days I got my husband and son off to work and daycare and I took my Phenergen and went back to bed. By September I was ready for the blessed event. I was induced on 10-04-06 and had such a wonderful experience. Pitocin started at 7am, epidural at 1100am and my son was born a little after noon. Shortly after the epidural his heart rate dropped and I found myself in the room with four nurses, a resident and then my physician. I panicked but everyone else in the room held steady--which eased my fears. Finally after numerous position changes and an internal fetal monitor his heart rate came up. Within in 30 minutes of the ordeal Noah arrived. Through it all we had a wonderful nurse named Kate(who kept me focused) and of course Dr Hartman(who is fantactic)--I don't think I could of gotten through it with out them.  --   M of Benton
		When I think back on my stay at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale there are two special moments that stand out in my mind. The first one was when they laid my son in my arms for the very first time. You can’t put into words what that feels like. It was love at first sight and I couldn’t believe how much he looked like me! After waiting all that time getting to see him made me cry. Knowing that at that moment I had become a mother and that he was my baby was a feeling like no other. The second one was when they told me that my son was allowed to leave the NICU and room in with me. Now let me backtrack a little bit. This was my first pregnancy and it was very low risk. My due date was July 16th, 2007. On July 21st, around 11:30 p.m. I started having labor pains. I waited 20 minutes before I realized I was really in labor. My Mom, her husband, my younger brother, and I left the house shortly after midnight. We arrived at the hospital shortly before 1:00 a.m. I was 4 cm. dilated when I got to the hospital. Around 3:30 I had an epidural and by 4:00 my water had broken. I dilated to 5 cm., but made no progress over the next few hours. So, my nurse had me lay on my left side. Within an hour and a half, I had dilated to 10 cm. For the next 2 hours I laid there letting labor progress on its own, since I never felt the urge to push and I was so comfortable. At 10:50 I was asked if I wanted to start pushing and I said sure. Within a half an hour and 5 sets of 3 pushes each (the last set of pushes I only pushed once, because his head came out) he was born! (making a total of 13 pushes all together) My baby boy was born on July 22nd, at 11:19 a.m. (making him 6 days overdue) He weighed in at 7 pounds and 12.5 ounces and measured 21 inches long. However, little did I know that within 15 minutes he would be taken to the NICU for being pale in color and having fluid in his lungs. On July 23rd, he pulled his own C-Pac off, so shortly after, they moved him into a crib. On July 25th, he was unhooked from everything and allowed to room in with me. On July 26th, he was allowed to come home with me. As far as how my stay at the hospital went it was wonderful. I wouldn’t have wanted to have had my baby anywhere else. Megan, Anna, Erin, Sarah, and Sandy were all perfect examples of what nurses should be like and they all took very good care of me. Laurie and Karen also took very good care of my baby while he was in the NICU and it continued even after he was rooming in with me. Dr. Gates had been my doctor throughout my entire pregnancy, but he wasn’t on call the day that I delivered, so Dr. Hartman ended up delivering. I always thought that Dr. Gates would be there to deliver my son, but having Dr. Hartman deliver him instead made my third special moment. A little over 4 years ago my sister had a son delivered by Dr. Hartman as well. So, that was kind of neat. Nancy was such a help too. Not only did she teach a Lifesaver: Baby (CPR) and Get Ready, Get Set To Go Home class, that I attended, she also gave me breastfeeding counseling. She really made sure that I had everything I needed before returning home. Also, I was discharged 48 hours following my baby's birth, but they allowed me to room in until my son could go home with me. My labor, delivery, and postpartum experience with this hospital and staff was truly exceptional. They really take care of their patients on a personal level. They treat you just like they would want to be treated as if they were the patient. I’m so glad that my life changing experience began at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. It’s something that will always be dear to me and hold a very special place in my heart.  --   M of Raleigh
		I did have a special Delivery because i had a set of twins. They were born with a little bit of problems. They were put in the NICU of 2 and a half weeks. the Staff in the NICU were great with my babies. they Were there to greet me every morning at 5:30am to tell me how the night went with my babies. They let me be a mom with my babies still in the hospital. They always checked on the babies.  --
		My story is nothing special. I did not have a hard pregnancy nor did I specifically enjoy the pregnancy stages in my life. However, Dr. Douglas Gates and his staff made my daughter's arrival so much easier (and funnier!). I can honestly say that I would have never thought that a nurse would be allowed to make jokes with me as I was in the process of delivering my baby. However; my husband, nurse, and I kept track of all the inappropriate things I said and the ill-timed 'sounds' that arose during the delivery process. I am a very sarcastic person...and I thought that no one understood my family's humor until I started the birthing process at the hospital. Honestly...there are some very sarcastic nurses! And Dr. Gates is not too shabby himself! Besides the fact that he let my husband deliver my daughter, he helped me through some of the roughest stages of my life. He truely is a Godsend. Thank you, Dr. Gates, and his wonderful staff  --
		it was verry well after i got to hold my baby thank you  --   D of Tamms
		My special moment started when I first found out I was pregnant with my now 2 year old daughter Dr. Cruz was there for me til after I delivered,I remember one special nurse though her name was Tammy we ordered pizza for mine and my husband anniversary since we were in the hospital we couldnt leave so we ordered in she came and ate pizza with us we sat around just talking like we were old friends . Then there was Belinda she was good to she helped us with whatever we needed.Since I had to have an emergency c-sectiom she offered to stay the night with me when my husband had to home to go to work   --   K of Simpson
		To begin with, my water broke when I was at 34 weeks of my pregnancy. My pregnancy wasn't easy from the get go. I had a few problems and knew that premature birth was a possibility. This was my first pregnancy and I wasn't sure what to expect. I had taken the classes and researched everything I could, but nothing could prepare me for this. When I got to the OB department at Memorial Hospital, I was greeted very kindly. All of my nurses made me feel at ease. They all introduced themselves by name. I was still very scared because I didn't know what to expect, but they did all they could to help me and my husband get through what we were about to face. Dr. Cruz was signed out at the very beginning of my labor to Dr. Meyer who throughly explained what was going to happen to the baby after birth. He had one of the best bedside manors I had seen. As soon as the hard labor started to take effect, Dr. Cruz came back just to deliver my baby; he just so happened to be in the hospital that day. Dr. Cruz is a wonderful physician, who I highly recommend. About 7 hours (and about 4 hours of hard labor) from the time my water broke, the baby came. Dr. Cruz, Dawn, my husband, and 3 more family members help to guide me through the most painful event in my life. 4 pounds and 15 ounces of a beautiful baby boy. I got to see him for about 2 seconds afterward, then he was taken directly to the NICU. The nurses in the NICU are GOD sends to nursing. They all helped my baby and me get through the most painful experience that I have ever had to go through. Both of the educators at Memorial Hospital are wonderful people. The nurses on the Mother Baby unit are also some of the most compassionate and kind ladies I have ever encountered. My son is now a happy and healthy baby. I thank them all for everything!!!  --   R of Zeigler
		when my child was born she only weighed 4lbs 4oz and she was sent to the nicu and as you can imagine my nerves were shot but the doctors and nurses who took care of me and my child were exceptional,they treated us like we were their own.a special thanks to Dr.Bishop for letting me stay longer than i should have because of my daughters condition and the staff of the hospital for being so kind to us.  --   C of Dowell
		Having a baby is a very painful but joyful experience. I found i was pregnant in july and that my due was april 23rd. and i have to admit that i wasnt exactly excitied about it neither were my parents. but as time went on we all got used to the idea and then before long none of us could wait for my baby girl to get here. When i was 14 weeks pregnant i had a bit of scare while i was at home one day and i had started bleeding. so i went to the dr and got an ultrasound and turns out the baby was fine. I was just having a small period. In decemeber I found out that i was having a girl, i was so excited. on april 20 while i was at work i starrted having contractions so i left work and came home and by the time i got there they had stopped. so from that day on i started walking, riding a bike and doing squats to try to make myself come into labor which didnt work. Finally on april 25 at about 4:30 am i started having contractions but they were very irregular and i thought i had to use the bathroom. They had stopped for a minute and started again. so I started timing my contraction which were very irregular at about 5:30 am I woke up my mom and told her. she was concinved it was another false labor but i wasnt so hopped in the shower at 6:00 am. by then my contraction were only 3 minutes apart. we left the house at 7:00 am to go the hospital because i was convinced i was in active labor. and at this time my contracrions are only 1 minute apart. we made to the hospital by 7:45 they checked me and by then i had dialated to 9 cm. at 9 they broke my water and by 10 i started pushing. unfortanetly when i pushed her head out i ripped(ouch). she was born at 10:11 am she was 6lbs 12 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. but because i didnt make to the hospital in time they didnt have time to give me antibotics which by the way i had tested postitve for group B strep. so she had problem breathing. she was in the NICU for 2 days on 3rd day i was able to take her home. but in that experience my OB GYN sherry jones and nurses at SIH we all fantastic and very patient and i ever get pregnant again they will definitely be top choice.  --   K of Ullin
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