Working as a nurse on 6 Neuro, Amanda Stamp sees a lot of complex cases. Patients receiving treatment for brain and spinal cord injuries, strokes – even Huntington’s Disease. It’s a tough job. But, Amanda loves the unit.
“Our floor runs really, really well. We’re a big family.”
Family. Something Amanda and her husband, Mike, were desperate to create. After struggling with infertility, they turned to the experts for help.
“You can imagine how overjoyed we were to finally get pregnant with not one… not two… but three babies!” says Amanda. “My husband was a twin, and his mom was a twin, so we knew there was a chance.”
Up until 31 weeks pregnant, Amanda was still caring for patients at Nebraska Medicine. But, over Easter weekend, she was admitted to the hospital with complications. Her maternal-fetal medicine specialists urged her to take it easy and stop working.
“As you can imagine, I watched a lot of Netflix those following weeks.”
During Amanda’s next follow-up appointment, her medical team at Nebraska Medicine decided to do a c-section.
“I thought I would have some time to prepare, but they said, ‘Nope! We need to do this today.'”
On April 8, Paul Tomich, MD, delivered Bennett (3 lbs, 12 oz), Brady (4 lbs, 6.2 oz) and Connor (3 lbs, 0.3 oz).
“Bennett and Brady are identical twins and Connor is the odd man out,” smiles Amanda.
There were no complications, but due to their size, the boys were taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Nebraska Medicine.
“The interesting thing is that my husband was also a patient in this NICU,” says Amanda. “So, some of the nurses who cared for him as a baby are now taking care of our three boys!”
As the babies continue to eat and grow, Amanda can’t say enough about the care her family has received.
“Everyone has been amazing,” says Amanda. “When the babies were coming, I was scared to death – but the labor and delivery nurses were right there to assure me everything was going to be okay. In the NICU, they can sense when I’m feeling overwhelmed, filled with hormones or just need to cry. They have offered many times to sit with me and hold my hand.”
As she celebrates her first Mother’s Day as a new mom, Amanda is grateful for her seven years as a nurse – and is looking forward to many more.
“It’s a very special time to celebrate the relationship I have with my kids,” says Amanda. “The thing I’ve learned, is that it’s way different being the patient than the nurse. You have no control as a patient. I know this entire experience will help me become an even better nurse. Empathy and compassion are so important.”
To schedule an appointment with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Nebraska Medicine, call 800.922.0000.