Jessi Corredor doesn't like hospitals. But two days after she delivered her daughter, if someone had told her she needed to stay longer, she would have been fine with it.
"From the moment I walked into Holy Name Medical Center, I felt super welcome and comfortable, from people I didn't even know," Jessi said. "They educated me on so many things about having a newborn, I wouldn't have been upset if they said I had to stay. I can't say enough about how well my baby and I were treated."
Jessi, from Hackensack, had toured Holy Name and visited the hospital for ultrasounds during her pregnancy. But she didn't know really what to expect when she arrived at Holy Name's BirthPlace about 10pm on a Monday in November 2019.
"My contractions were every five minutes but they weren't that strong," Jessi said. "My doctor said I could stay or go home and come back when they were stronger. Since it was my first baby, I decided to stay."
Her contractions grew more intense as the night wore on and she didn't deliver Riley for a full 24 hours, but she said the attention she received during that time was "just amazing. Every one of the nurses took such good care of me."
Jessi was open to the idea of getting an epidural but she was hoping to avoid it, if possible. She said the staff offered but never pushed it. After 14 hours of labor, she agreed to the numbing injection, and from there, "it was smooth sailing," she said.
Riley entered the world, healthy and happy on November 19, and Jessi wanted to start breastfeeding as soon as possible. The nurses cleaned Riley and immediately gave her to Jessi. They instructed her how to hold and move about with her newborn.
"Holding a newborn is very intimidating," Jessi said. "I was afraid she would break if I wasn't super gentle with her but the nurses showed me how to move with her so we were both more comfortable. Today, I am super confident with her."
Jessi had the option of having her baby stay in her room round the clock or letting Riley spend some time in the nursery so she could get some rest.
"The way the birthing center at Holy Name is set up is so perfect because the nursery is so close that I could see Riley whenever I wanted," Jessi said. "And it wasn't just Riley and I that the staff took care of – I come from a huge family and had visitors every day. Everyone was always welcome when they visited.
"When I talk to people about their experience delivering in other hospitals, they seem surprised by how well it went for me. It was all so easy and such a great experience all around – I always tell people to deliver in Holy Name."
