It Takes Heart: Nurse Helps Moms in Waiting

Bernadette “B.B.” Indelicato fi rst met St. John’s Mercy nurse Amy McLean more than 10 years ago. What began as a nurse-and-patient relationship has developed into a friendship that has positively affected both women’s lives.

Indelicato came to St. John’s Mercy Medical Center for extended stays while on activity restriction with both her children. In 1995, when she was six months pregnant with her son, John, McLean was assigned to her as a tech.

McLean, motivated by her experience of working with patients like Indelicato, has dedicated her career to helping moms on activity restriction and created the “While You Are Waiting” program for St. John’s Mercy. She conducted extensive research to develop the program, and drew on more than 10 years of antepartum experience.

Indelicato, the inspiration for “While You Are Waiting,” affi rms McLean’s approach: “Every morning, Amy would come in early to check on me and find out how I was, what I needed and what would make my day better. After I talked to her, I always felt like I could breathe again.”

In the program, moms learn about parenting and newborns, interact with one another and participate in fun activities, such as scrapbooking or making baby blankets, which make the days pass more quickly. McLean also provided them with laptop computers to e-mail their friends and family. She knows that the waiting can be the hardest part. “These moms feel ‘trapped,’ so we try to provide them with a sense of control over their time here,” she said.

“Amy introduced me to the idea of keeping a journal while I was in the hospital,” Indelicato said. “I wrote about my feelings, my prayers, what tests had been done that day, and how it made me stronger to feel John’s little kicks and hear his heart beating. Every year on John’s birthday, we get out the journal and read about the time we were waiting for him to arrive. He loves hearing the story about his long trip into the world.”

“Lifelong friendships are made here,” McLean said. “We see our moms and their babies come back to visit on birthdays for years and years after their stays here.”

John Indelicato, now 10, and his sister, Danielle, now 12, come back to visit St. John’s Mercy on birthdays and holidays. “Our ‘waiting’ moms really get inspired when they see healthy St. John’s Mercy alumni kids,” said McLean.

“ We always say that we took Amy home from the hospital with us. She’s been a friend ever since we met,” said Indelicato. “I’ve watched her grow from a young girl with an idea to an amazing, creative, thoughtful woman who continues to help moms like me every day.”