We live an hour away, but it was a natural decision to have our children at Bronson!
I grew up in Kalamazoo. My grandma was a labor & delivery nurse at Bronson, and all of my family was born there. It was just a natural decision to have our children there, even living an hour away. When my husband and I were expecting our first child, he was nervous about not making it in time for the delivery. However, I wouldn’t budge. I knew the care at Bronson was far better than any local hospital. Our daughter was born in May of 2013. She stayed in the NICU her 1st 24 hrs, then was ready for the Mother-Baby floor. The staff made our stay stress-free. They were caring, respectful, communicative, and helpful. Fast forward to 2015, when we were expecting our 2nd, only to find out we were having twins! Again, Bronson’s Women’s Services provided a great experience, along with Maternal Fetal Medicine. We welcomed our beautiful daughters in May 2016, 6 weeks early. I know so many families who have very stressful NICU stories (at other hospitals), and am grateful to say that was not our case. The staff in the NICU became part of our team. Working together to get our girls healthy, growing, and home! Every staff member, from the reception staff who’d welcome us each time with a smile, to the environmental services staff who did an excellent job at keeping all the areas clean, to the amazing nurses and doctors, played such integral parts in our girls stay and experience! Our girls only spent 13 days in the NICU and Step-down NICU. A time period much shorter than anyone expected. Of course there were certain people who will forever be part of my daughter’s story. Like Stephanie, Teagan, and Kristen. These three nurses stuck out to us as those who went far above and beyond to make us and our girls comfortable. Even our extended family, who visited often, felt they must truly love our girls to give them such great care. I knew though, from my long hours and days there, that they just love their job, coworkers, and patients, because they provided such care to all of their patients. 🙂 After coming home our story continued with Bronson’s fantastic Lactation Consultants. We had weekly visits, and multiple calls during our first 2 months home. They were always positive, caring, and listened to our needs. If it wasn’t for them I don’t know if we would’ve been able to get my girls breastfeeding!
We are a proud Bronson family, and whenever I talk with someone who will be delivering there I share our story. NICU stories can be scary, however, ours is so positive and uplifting that I’ve seen families anxieties about delivery eased.
We will forever be grateful to everyone at Bronson who had touched our lives, in such a deep and profound way!
