Stories

Melissa Petrus gives Providence St. Jude Medical Center maternity services her highest recommendation

Melissa Petrus, mother of five, always knew she wanted a big family. When she became pregnant with her first child, she chose Providence St. Jude Medical Center because of the wonderful reputation of its maternity unit.

When Melissa discovered her first baby was in a breech position about a month before her March 2015 due date, she worried that a C-section was inevitable. “For the next couple of weeks, I did some hocus pocus tricks to get the baby to move into the head-down position,” she laughs. “I was doing handstands in the pool, putting sage on my toes and lying face down on the couch. All with no luck.”

Then, her doctor at Providence St. Jude tried a procedure to manually flip the baby. “It worked,” she shares. Melissa appreciated the support she got from her doctor, her nurses and her husband to get her through labor and delivery.

“Pushing was awful because it was my first, but they were super encouraging — saying, ‘Just keep going, you can do it!’ — and that was very helpful.”

Today, she recommends Providence St. Jude to all of her expecting friends and family. “I had such a wonderful experience that I chose to come back for my next four babies,” she shares. “It’s spacious, it’s comfortable, and the staff is amazing. This is home to me.”

Philanthropy makes all the difference

Donor support has played a significant role in shaping maternity services at Providence St. Jude, which provides an outstanding birth experience to mothers like Melissa and their families. The hospital has used donor funds to provide new equipment in the NICU and for advanced education for caregivers.

The department also offers unique services like the free maternity concierge. “The maternity concierge service is great,” beams Melissa. “They are there to get new moms anything they need — from their favorite restaurant meal to balloons for the kids or help with communicating with extended family.”

Melissa is grateful for donors who’ve helped create a wonderful maternity experience for the community. “I appreciate the generosity of people who give,” she says. “They’re supporting a wonderful facility. I can’t recommend it enough.”

If you’d like an insider’s tour of Providence St. Jude’s maternity services provided by Melissa herself, please visit bit.ly/StJudeMaternity.