Shawndra Kuiken

Hear Shawndra’s Story

Parenthood has been an amazing adventure for us.  Watching as your child grows and learns new things fills your heart with such joy and happiness!  When we discovered that our family would be growing a little bigger, naturally we were nervous for the challenges, but similarly thrilled to welcome a new little one to our home.

We got to know Dr. LoriAnne Andersen and the OB team with the arrival of our first son, and were excited to be able to continue doctoring with her during my second pregnancy.  I elected to have a repeat C-section, to have the opportunity to deliver in a facility close to home.  Dr. Andersen has always taken time during appointments to thoroughly explain details and made me feel significant as a patient.  The ultrasound staff did an excellent job of showing us our growing baby and monitoring that he was developing properly.  Dr. Mark Stelzer was the surgeon who performed my first cesarean and we were fortunate to be able to set up a surgery date with him again.

As I was prepped for surgery, I was visited by all my doctors and given the chance to ask any remaining questions.  Once we were in the operating room, each of the nurses introduced themselves and ensured that I was as comfortable and calm as possible.  During the procedure, the team explained each step of what was happening and allowed my husband and I to witness the moment our son was born.  After they got his initial set of vitals, he was brought to me first to have skin-to-skin contact.  It was so incredible to get to hold him and bond with him right away in the OR!  This was a new experience for me, and I was able to keep him by me for as long as I liked while Dr. Stelzer finished up.

Throughout our time in the hospital, the OB nurses were so wonderful!  From managing my pain to checking if I needed more water – they do it all.  Each of the them offered their knowledge and support when needed and made me feel at home.  When our toddler came to visit, they made sure to bring him a sticker and make him feel special, too!

We are very blessed to have two healthy boys and are so thankful for each of the skilled professionals that helped us bring our boys into the world!  We appreciate the high level of care given and the kind, familiar faces at Sioux Center Health.  These are some of the things that make it worthwhile for our family to return for our healthcare needs.