Making Rachel and her baby feel safe: A birth story

October 4, 2021

Providence Marketing

The mother, Rachel, and her baby

[3 MIN WATCH | 2 MIN READ]

Rachel McCord is an American actress and activist who spends her time helping female entrepreneurs realize their passion. She’s also a proactive advocate for raising awareness of anxiety and depression disorders. Rachel is compassionate and kind, so naturally when she decided to start a family she turned to the compassionate caregivers at Providence.

We sat down with Rachel to hear about her pregnancy journey at Providence. You can watch Rachel talk about her experience in the video (3 minutes) directly below or scroll on for the key takeaways from her interview.

Key takeaways

High-risk pregnancy

Rachel had surgery on one of her ovaries a couple of months before getting pregnant and knew that there was a risk associated with having a baby. Basically, Rachel was told that she should not get pregnant due to the risk involved. There were two other factors that made her pregnancy journey challenging – new COVID care protocols and learning that she developed gestational diabetes. Despite these challenges, Rachel welcomed her baby boy to the world on May 18, 2020.

Why Providence

Rachel started her pregnancy journey at another hospital, but she felt something was missing. As a woman of faith, she decided to move to Providence to deliver her baby when she was 36-weeks pregnant. In her words: “I felt that I was covered in a different kind of way and that was really special.”

“Providence sees me as a whole person. When we go into our check-ups they look at us as family; they look at me as a full person. There’s so much care that goes into it. They really had my back”

Finding the right partner

Building a rapport with her doctor and care team is super important to Rachel. When she transitioned to Providence, she knew that she would get the compassionate care she sought. Dr. Angela Nishio and the attending nurse Deborah Breetwor-Peters made Rachel feel like they were committed to her safety. “I really felt like I was home at Providence. I knew I made the right transition; there was a vibe of ‘we’ve got this’,” said Rachel.

The birthing experience

Like most expectant moms, Rachel was anxious and scared. Layer on the unknowns of COVID, and she needed a team that would guide her through the process of labor, delivery and postpartum. From her mental state to her physical comfort, Rachel’s care team took care of her body, mind and spirit. In her words: “It was like sinking into a big couch. I felt heard and seen throughout the process.”

Postpartum anxiety

While postpartum depression is a well-known narrative associated with giving birth, for some women postpartum anxiety can be equally challenging. As a new mom, Rachel struggled with anxiety associated with her baby’s safety. She stressed about making sure the car seat was installed correctly and whether it was safe to leave her house with her baby during COVID. “Anxiety can quickly become depression, and with my hormones and my body out of whack I felt overwhelmed. It's really important for moms to ask for help. The Providence team asked me pointed questions that really made me feel that I was not on my own,” said Rachel.

Learn more about the maternity services offered at Providence St. John’s Health Center.

Learn more about Rachel’s projects to help empower women at The McCord List.

Find a doctor

If you are thinking about having children, or are currently expecting a baby, you can find out more about hospital locations, services and doctors via our provider directory.