Nantucket Cottage Hospital is not only an integral part of the island community, but it is an equally integral part of our family as well. As a family of six, we have frequented the ER for stitches, fevers and other mishaps that accompany a family with four boys, always receiving attentive and comprehensive care. But the hospital hasn’t just been there for our family during tragic events or unfortunate circumstances. It has served as the “home away from home” where we gave birth and welcomed three of our four children into the world, most recently our son Charles on January 10, 2020. It is these life changing moments for which we feel forever connected and grateful to our community hospital.

While nothing can fully prepare a family for the life changing experience that bringing a new baby into the world will be, the process can be a positive one or not. Our experience, most recently, was nothing short of perfect.

We had a pretty good idea of what to expect, this being our third child in three years. What we could not have planned for however, was the tremendous care our family received by the nursing staff and just how much they would contribute to our overall experience.

We arrived on a Friday morning and were warmly welcomed. It felt as though the whole nursing staff was anticipating our arrival, ready and eager to get the process started. How grateful we were to have such individualized attention, knowing that is not the norm in most all other hospitals. They embraced our desire for a holistic, natural birth. Whether through maintaining the set environment through dimmed lighting and quiet music, or providing birthing balls at various stages or encouraging walking the halls and trying new laboring positions. They respected our wishes the entire way.

– Kathleen and Isaiah Stover with their kids Gabe, J.J., Xander and Finn