Take me to Mountain View Hospital — it’s like my home away from home

Sarah Dibba, of Spanish Fork, excitedly prepared for her new role as grandmother; her oldest daughter was 3 months pregnant. Yet with all the excitement, Sarah couldn’t ignore the growing discomfort within her own abdomen. Nausea, heartburn and other symptoms led her to believe she suffered from a stomach ulcer. After seeking a doctor’s attention, Sarah was flabbergasted to learn that she too had a big announcement.

“When the doctor told me I was pregnant, I just looked at him and bawled. I think I was in shock and denial for the first 5 months,” Sarah said.

High risk, high attention

Three risk factors automatically elevated Sarah’s pregnancy to high risk status: the mother-to-be recently celebrated her 42nd birthday, her intrauterine device (IUD) hadn’t been located, and Sarah has Type 2 diabetes. With her high-risk factors, Sarah sought out an experienced expert in childbirth delivery.

“Dr. Jeff Nance delivered my son 8 years ago and I love him,” Sarah said. “He’s sweet as pie, tells funny old jokes and works alongside his son. He’s been doing this a long time.”

A customized, flexible birthing plan

Sarah’s pregnancy progressed smoothly, but at 39 weeks gestation her baby girl showed no signs of impending labor. At this point, her birthing plan hinged on inducing labor at Mountain View Hospital, but then Dr. Nance called Sarah on the morning of the scheduled induction.

“Dr. Nance said he just couldn’t get me off his mind. He felt uneasy about our birthing plan and asked how I felt about it,” Sarah remembered.

After an open conversation about birthing plan adjustments and options, Dr. Nance recommended a C-section at 7 p.m. that night at Mountain View.

“It immediately felt right,” Sarah said. “I knew he had thought it out and conferred with other doctors. I completely trusted him. I was so calm.”

Putting the patient first — every minute of every day

With the last-minute decision to have a C-section came a last-minute idea. Sarah asked Dr. Nance if he could perform a tube ligation, commonly referred to as having tubes tied as permanent birth control, after the C-section. Of course Dr. Nance would happily perform the procedure, but he’d need pre-authorization of the insurance before moving forward.

“He says, ‘Let me call my insurance girl,’ and then came back in 15 minutes with it preapproved. I was floored! Who does that? If my boss called me at 7 p.m., I’d swipe to voicemail. Who knows what that woman did to make this possible. At Mountain View Hospital, they’re so willing to do things for their patients!”

Care from an angelic sisterhood

Sweet baby Kaiyah arrived perfectly. Born at 7:21 p.m., weighing 7 lbs. 2 oz. and measuring 19.5 inches long, she melted everyone’s hearts instantly.

As Sarah cradled and cared for her Kaiyah, she turned to a team of nurses to care for her.

“Those women are angels ushering in these new lives,” Sarah said. “Giving birth and recovering from giving birth is not sexy. It’s not elegant. But these nurses took care of me with joy, ease and love. As a mama/grandma, I felt so vulnerable. I felt uncertain, and those nurses brought certainty to the situation — for me and my daughter. They loved us. They held Kaiyah and cared for her like she was one of their own. This was more than a patient thing – this was a sisterhood. That’s what impressed me the most.”

Extending family bonds

Due to their positive experiences at Mountain View Hospital, Sarah and her family loyally seek medical care at “their hospital” when situations arise. Just last weekend Sarah’s grandson (her daughter’s new baby) spent the night at the hospital for RSV. A few weeks before that, her daughter needed treatment for kidney stones.

“I laugh and ask if there’s a frequent customer punch pass,” Sarah said. “But really, we say, ‘Take me to Mountain View Hospital because it’s like a home away from home.’ It’s like having family care for you. I feel like I’m family when I’m there. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.”