The Minton Family's Story

Sharing a Personal Experience

Indiana University alumni Brittney and Mike Minton relocated to Normal, Illinois, for work - hours away from their family back in Evansville, Indiana. Little did they know, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center staff would soon become family when they gave birth to their first child.

While expecting, Brittney and Mike attended two birthing classes to help educate them on what to expect during delivery and to learn more about breastfeeding.

"The classes were very helpful," Brittney said. "This is our first baby and we wanted to be as prepared as possible."

Anxious to bring their new child into the world after being on precautionary bed rest, Brittney's Obstetrician Joseph Santiago, MD, scheduled a labor induction for April 9, 2009.

"We'd been to the medical center a couple times during my pregnancy," Brittney said. "Once when I had the flu and once when I had some false contractions."

Dr. Santiago and the hospital staff kept each other updated on Brittney and baby's progress throughout the pregnancy to ensure a safe delivery and a healthy baby.

On April 9, night shift nurses helped Brittney and Mike get settled into their delivery room to begin the induction process. After close to 12 hours of labor, Catherine "Caty" Minton was born at 12:27 p.m., on April 10, 2009, at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center. Shortly after Caty's birth, Mike gave his daughter her very first bath with help from the nursing staff.

Since the new parents are originally from Indiana, only Brittney's husband Mike and her mother were able to be there for Caty's birth. Brittney and Mike said they really depended on staff to help them through this new experience.

"The nursing staff was wonderful, I truly felt like they cared," Brittney said. "We weren't just a room number and I never felt like we were bothering them. They felt like part of our family."

After the new family took their little girl home, Brittney was having some difficulty breastfeeding and called one of the hospital's lactation consultants for help. The consultant offered to talk her through the problem over the phone, or said Brittney and Caty could come to the medical center if they felt they needed some extra guidance. With the consultant's help, Brittney was able to work through the problem and continue breastfeeding.

Mike and Brittney said they couldn't stop talking about their experience at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center. "The nurses and lactation consultants were exceptional. They were patient, thorough, and made us feel like family. We shared a very personal experience with staff that genuinely cares," Brittney said. "We talk about OSF a lot. It was such a great experience that truly made a difference - we never want to forget it."

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