Anastasia Stachura was in labor for hours and wasn't any closer to delivering her baby than she had been when she first entered the hospital. It appeared as if one of her worst fears might come true - she would need a cesarean section and wouldn't be able to have a vaginal delivery.
But her doctor, Lucy Tovmasian, MD, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Holy Name Medical Center, convinced Anastasia not to give up hope and to "hang in there." The encouragement came on the heels of months of checkups, hours of care at the hospital and an unwavering belief that Anastasia could deliver without surgery.
"Dr. Tovmasian was amazing – from the moment I got to the hospital that Wednesday night she kept checking on me until she went to the office on Friday morning," Anastasia said. "She exhausted every possibility for me to deliver vaginally and eventually, she helped me do just that."
Holy Name has one of the lowest C–section rates in the state, due in large part to its philosophy and training. Physicians, nurses and staff members know the higher risks associated with cesarean sections and work seamlessly as a team to help all women deliver vaginally whenever possible.
Anastasia gave birth to a perfect baby boy, Maximilian, after 10 hours of labor. It was a vaginal birth, with no complications.
Her pregnancy wasn't so simple. She developed sciatica problems, which made her essentially immobile in her third trimester. Her labor had to be induced.
"During labor, we really started to lose hope at the end, when I wasn't dilating," Anastasia said. "But Dr. Tovmasian and the whole staff were just amazing. It was so apparent to my husband and me that the nurses and staff at Holy Name really love their jobs. They were so attentive and responsive to every need. They genuinely care about their patients."
Anastasia was so impressed with Holy Name – it was the first time she was there – that when Maximillian developed a fever a few months after his birth, she brought him to Holy Name from their home in Wallington.
"There are other hospitals that are closer to my home but they don't compare," she said. "I've been in other hospitals and Holy Name is just different. It's so clean and doesn't have that hospital smell. It was just a wonderful experience. Everyone, from Dr. Tovmasian to the lactation specialist and all the nurses, they were all just terrific."
Learn more about Anastasia Stachura's OB/GYN physician today
