Sabrina Bowers’ birth story: a supportive, comfortable experience at MercyOne Clinton Medical Center

After the birth of their third child, Sabrina and James Bowers of Clinton, Iowa waited 13 years to conceive their fourth child. They didn’t expect their fourth birthing experience to be her best one at MercyOne Clinton Medical Center.  

“It had obviously been a while since I was pregnant, and we moved from Illinois, so I asked my primary care provider, Aubrey Matthiesen, ARNP, for a referral, and she recommended Elizabeth Pehl, MD at MercyOne Clinton Medical Center.” Outside of having gestational diabetes, Sabrina’s pregnancy was smooth, and she says she received exceptional care at MercyOne Clinton, “It was phenomenal. Every appointment was super informative, and Dr. Pehl never acted like my questions were silly or that I had too many. Her entire team is very friendly and supportive.”

Sabrina knew she would have a cesarean section (C-section), like her prior pregnancies, and she felt well-informed and prepared for the procedure.

From scheduled to emergency

Sabrina’s C-section was scheduled at MercyOne Clinton for January 14, 2025, at 7:30 a.m. “We were scheduled to go in at 5 a.m., but at 2 a.m., I knew I was in labor, and we headed to the hospital.” Sabrina was in extreme pain, and the medicine they gave her wasn't helping.

“Even though it was an emergency delivery, it was far less traumatic than my previous deliveries. The nurses provided us with details about what they were doing, and what would happen next, so there were no guessing games. My team made me feel comfortable and calm. When the anesthesiologist came to do the epidural, my nurse held me and soothed me, because I was nervous.”  

A previous epidural at a different hospital had caused her stress and pain. “At MercyOne, my anesthesiologist was so good. He did not rush at all and calmly talked me through it. I barely felt the needle. He even stayed and took some pictures for us during the delivery.”

Baby No.4 arrives!

Once Sabrina was prepped and ready, Dr. Pehl proceeded with her C-section. The delivery of the Bowers’ new baby, Jaxsyn, went smoothly. At least, it seemed that way. “Apparently, when they delivered Jaxsyn, he wasn’t breathing, and his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck three times. I had no idea until later. The team was calm, did not say anything about it, resuscitated him and waited until later to tell me what happened.”  

While Sabrina recovered, she said her nurses took great care of her. “They waited on me hand and foot. I was able to have Jaxsyn in the room with me as much as I wanted, but when I needed to rest, they took him for me, so I could sleep. They did whatever they could to make us comfortable.”

Best care ever

Sabrina and James’s family now includes Tristan, 17, Jaedin, 15, Jaylinn, 13, and baby Jaxsyn. “We are so happy with the care we had at MercyOne Clinton Medical Center. My niece told me recently that she was pregnant, and I said to her, ‘You need to come to MercyOne in Clinton. It was the best care I’ve ever had.’”