Patient Stephanie Zile with daughter
Stephanie Zile and her husband were at The Mount Sinai Hospital in the Labor and Delivery Unit and were anxious. Their first child was born by a caesarean section, and it was a difficult experience. But this time around, two nurses, and other staff, made the journey a smooth one. “Beila Edelman, my OR nurse, is a rock star,” she says. “In the hours before I was ready to deliver, she immediately perceived that we were tense, Beila wanted to understand what we were going through; how we felt emotionally, and even encouraged us to cry. As soon as I gave birth and my daughter was deemed to be OK, Beila brought her close to me and then took a photo of my husband, me, and my daughter. It was wonderful how she made a sterile operating room feel warm and comfortable. And she did her best to expedite the recovery so I could be transferred to a postpartum room, also coming with me to make sure I was settled.”
Stephanie has equal praise for her daytime nurse, Shanaaz Begum, RN. “Shanaaz really listened to me and sometimes could just read my body language and know what to say or do. She was totally attuned to my needs. One night, my husband and I were tired, so Shanaaz took my daughter to the nursery so we could get some rest. Importantly, she made me feel totally comfortable with having some respite time while also trying to nurse. Although this was my second birth, she made suggestions to reorient me to new motherhood—for example about breastfeeding—that were so helpful.
Shanaaz is fully engaged with her role. “Being a perinatal nurse is truly an empowering experience. Educating and comforting new mothers during this transformative time gives me great pleasure. I do my best to listen to my patients and help them achieve what they envisioned for their delivery experience.”
Beila says she feels blessed to care for her patients. “From coaching women through their labor experience with encouragement and positive affirmations, and supporting them through their cesarean section experience, to bringing their newborns to them for their first kiss, I do my best to create a joyful and positive experience,” she explains. “Meeting each patient where they are and finding out what they might require allows me as the nurse, together with the Labor and Delivery team, to create the best experience possible. Being in service to moms and their families in their sacred birthing experiences is an honor and privilege, and I am blessed to be able to serve this community with love and joy.”