Chrissie's story
Being pregnant and having to deliver a child during a pandemic is terrifying, even for those of us in health care. Because I am an essential worker on the front lines and exposure to the virus was a concern, my doctor and I decided it best that I would take a leave of absence a few weeks prior to delivery to quarantine. Three days in to my quarantine I unexpectedly delivered my son at only thirty six weeks gestation. Because of his fast delivery and immature lungs he ended up in the NICU for twelve days. Leaving my newborn at the hospital in the NICU was just as terrifying but the staff reassured me and calmed every fear I had when being discharged.
I delivered my first child at Grand Strand and had a wonderful experience but this was all new territory. With my first child, all of my family and close friends were there to support us and meet our daughter. We assumed it would be the same for this child. However, the visitation policy changed prior to delivery only allowing my husband to be present. The nurses and support staff did an excellent job at filling in for the lack of family support I had in comparison to my first child. The staff allowed us to FaceTime all of our family members to meet our newest addition and were wonderful with communicating with us via phone on all of our sons progress. My husband and I were both allowed in to the NICU to visit our son at all hours of the day and night.
Masks were worn by everyone in the hospital, including patients which was also different than my first delivery. When in our private room we were not required to wear a mask but when walking the halls, or in the nursery, we did. My husband and I were both issued masks on arrival in the Emergency Department. I'm thankful for Grand Strand's commitment to keep everyone safe.
If you are expecting or about to deliver in the midst of this pandemic, Grand Strand Medical Center is the way to go. The staff in labor and delivery, postpartum, and the NICU were excellent with my son and me. The doctors were very thorough and explained every process entirely. The nurses were phenomenal as they stepped up to fill in as my additional support while allowing us to incorporate our family over the phone in our experience as well. I really can't say enough good things about the nurses. I'll never forget they way I felt finding out the nurses were calling in on their off days to find out how my son was doing. These nurses who didn't know us a few days prior became so much like family in the twelve days we were there that they wanted to know how we were when they were not even at work. I knew in that moment that my son was in the best of hands. The additional staff was friendly and pleasant and always made sure we had everything we needed. While being in a hospital during a pandemic may be scary, all of your fears will subside if you entrust the staff at Grand Strand with you and your new life's care. You may not have all that you want but the staff will make sure you have everything you need.