WACO, Texas (KWTX) – A Central Texas labor and delivery nurse who started delivering babies at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic delivered her own first born child this week and says she has a whole new appreciation for what women and families have been experiencing.
Nurse Stacie Walker started working as a delivery nurse at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest in Waco in April of 2020, delivered her own healthy baby boy, Sheppard Walker, on December 1 in the same room where she often works. Baylor Scott and White COVID-19 protocols currently allow just one visitor, which was Stacie’s husband, Curt.
Shep was not only the first baby for the couple, but the first grandchild and great-grandchild for the family who traveled as far as 1,200 miles to sit outside the nurse’s window.
“I know being a labor and delivery nurse I’ve seen many families outside the window, but having experienced it myself was a whole new thing,” Stacie said.
Stacie’s parents and brother from Austin were part of the group gathered outside. So were her grandparents from Corpus Christi. Curt’s parents traveled all the way from Mount Airy, North Carolina.
“It was a really big blessing,” Curt said. “We’re both very thankful and lucky to have such wonderful families and parents and we’re just really thankful that they got to be there with us.”
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The family enjoyed seeing one another through the glass for much of the afternoon.
They visited, ate and held up signs to support the first-time parents.
One read “Go Stacie” while another stated “Yay Curt!”
When Stacie began to push, the blinds were closed, but the nurse said her family never felt far away.
“I could have sworn they could have heard it,” she laughed. “We had to pull the blinds but I was like ‘they are going to be able to hear.’”
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Stacie delivered Shep weighing in at 8 pounds 9 ounces and measuring 21 inches long.
The Waco couple’s eager family on the other side of the window didn’t have to wait long to lay eyes on the bundle of joy.
“We opened the blinds back up and there he was,” Stacie said.
The proud parents are home Tuesday and say everything is going great.
They’re soaking in these first day as a family of three and say they’re extremely thankful for their extended family that made sure even while separated, they didn’t miss a beat.
“It meant everything to us that we had our people right outside,” Stacie said. “It’s such an important day and being a first-time mom, it’s also scary and knowing my mom was right out there, it meant the world to us.”
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