Angela was nine months pregnant when she tested positive for COVID. To monitor the health of the baby more closely, Angela’s OBGYN Dr. Kate Pizzuto recommended extra ultrasounds.

With each contraction the baby’s heart rate was rising and falling. Angela watched the monitor the whole time but she felt calm, and knew she was in good hands.

“I remember getting the call from Dr. Pizzuto that my two most recent ultrasounds hadn’t been as clear as she would have liked,” says Angela. “She suggested that I come in while she was on-call at Humber River Hospital. My ultrasound at the Hospital showed that I had low amniotic fluid and needed to be induced.”

Dr. Pizzuto induced Angela with a foley balloon to help her cervix begin to dilate, and told Angela to go home to eat and rest. A few hours later when the foley balloon fell out, it was go-time.

“When I arrived at Labour and Delivery, a student nurse named Mitch signed me in and he was so great,” says Angela. “He and the other nurses were very comforting and made sure I was aware of everything as it needed to happen.”

Once Angela received her epidural, there was a lot of resting and waiting.

“I had an overnight nurse named Sahar who was so kind and nurturing,” says Angela. “Things progressed slowly overnight, but I really felt like she took care of me – like having another mother in the room.”

By the morning, Angela hadn’t dilated as much as her care team had hoped, and with each contraction the baby’s heart rate was rising and falling enough that they were keeping a close eye on her. Angela watched the monitor the whole time but she felt calm, and knew she was in good hands.

“Dr. Pizzuto talked me through my options and asked all the questions in preparation for a C-Section just in case. She also performed a stretch and sweep to encourage things along,” says Angela. “I wasn’t rushed into any decisions and my team was great about keeping me calm as they were in and out of my room to monitor the baby and help me change positions.”

“She’s three months old now and every day is something different,” says Angela. “I love watching her react and smile and figure out the world.”

Finally, Angela reached 10cm and it was time to push.

“At the shift change I got a new nurse named Nana who came in with the tough love,” says Angela. “Sahar had been incredibly calming while I rested through my contractions, and Nana gave me the strength I needed while I pushed for an hour. They were both exactly what I needed.”

Pushing was exhausting, but Angela dug deep and found the strength she needed. Baby Genevieve was born at 7:43am (with a full head of hair!), right before Dr. Pizzuto’s shift ended.

“We had the best experience at Humber and I felt so lucky that Dr. Kate was there to take care of me the whole time,” says Angela. “Having her there was like having a friend in the room. She was always reassuring, and never made me worry if I didn’t need to.”

Angela and her husband Michael are adjusting to parenthood and loving life with little Genevieve.

“She’s three months old now and every day is something different,” says Angela. “I love watching her react and smile and figure out the world.”