Strong Support is Still Part of the Birthing Experience

On April 14, Baby Lena arrived at BHS. She had dark hair and beautiful blue eyes. Her mom and dad, first-time parents Alyssa and Cody Cribbs, were thrilled. “We couldn’t wait to get back to the room and hold her and give her lots of love,” Alyssa says. Little Lena was born at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is changing the typical birth experience. The couple had heard some hospitals were restricting maternity visitors altogether.

“We were nervous,” Cody says. “So when we found out that Butler allowed one support person to be there, it was a huge weight lifted off our shoulders.”

Cody was able to be with Alyssa throughout her labor, unexpected cesarean birth, and recovery. And he kept the rest of the family updated. Later, he and Alyssa used a video app to show their parents and siblings the baby.

The couple found a silver lining to their low-key maternity stay: “We really enjoyed just being with each other and learning Lena’s cues and sleeping patterns,” Alyssa says. “The nursing and labor and delivery staff at Butler were absolutely wonderful.”