Blog

How Stay Heart Healthy While Pregnant

Health is certainly top of mind when you’re expecting! Whether you’re wondering which prenatal vitamins to take or how to incorporate exercise into your daily routine, there’s a lot to think about. One of the things you should definitely keep in mind while pregnant is how to stay heart healthy! We’ve put together a list of a few things you should keep in mind to stay heart healthy while pregnant.

1.       Have at least five portions of different types of fruits and vegetables per day.

Fruits and vegetables are an essential part of your diet, especially during pregnancy! They... Read More »

Years Later, Mother is Gracious for the Care Received in the NICU at the Peggy V. Helmerich Women's Health Center

Brooke and Mickey’s parenting journey can easily be described as “unique”. They first met their adopted son, Evan, in the Peggy V. Helmerich Women’s Health Center neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Hillcrest Medical Center. Not long after Brooke and Mickey brought Evan home, Brooke learned she was pregnant. Their biological son, Sawyer, also needed care in the NICU and combined, Sawyer and Evan spent a total of 139 days in the NICU, and the kind and compassionate care they received helped them grow into healthy, strong children.

Brooke shares, “We had waited 10 years thinking we... Read More »

How to Manage Stress as a New Dad

Whether you are an old pro or a first timer, becoming a new dad can be stressful. There are so many things to consider before bringing the new addition home, not to mention mom’s needs. An article published by The National Center for Biotechnical Information (NCBI) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) listed the top stressors for new dads as: financial concerns, rigorous schedule/time management, not knowing what child wants, and lack of sleep. So dads, if you feel any of these or others stressors, you are not alone. 

So how do I reduce any or all of these stressors?  A key step... Read More »

Hillcrest Leadership Series – Interview with Women’s Service Line Administrator John Tucker

“My interest in health care started early,” shares John Tucker, MBA, women’s service line administrator at the Peggy V. Helmerich Women’s Health Center. “Playing doctor as a kid, we had to use our dogs and cats, even frogs. That’s where it started. I wanted to help and heal.” Those two words – help and heal – are simple, yet can have a profound impact on others. For John, they are the foundation for who he is and what he does. “I have a motto: find someone to do something for. I look for those opportunities to make something better for someone, whether it is one of our patients, visitors... Read More »

The Making of a Labor and Delivery Nurse

Every nurse has a reason for choosing a career to serve and care for others who are hurting, afraid and in pain. Nursing is not just what they do, it is who they are. For Marques Scott, RN, the year was 2009 when he and his wife welcomed their first child – a boy. “I saw the care the nurses provided,” Marques recalls. “That opened my eyes. I saw that nursing was a true career.”

Two momentous events happened that day – Marques became a father and found a career in which he believed he could grow and develop. Though mesmerized by the experience of becoming a father, Marques realized... Read More »

Love Helps a Little One Grow

When Tiffany Myers was told she would need to deliver her baby via cesarean section at just 30 weeks pregnant, she was shocked. “I had just gotten off the phone with my family telling them I was alright and that I wasn’t delivering the baby yet,” shares Tiffany. “So I had to call my family back and tell them to start heading to the hospital in Tulsa because the doctor needed to deliver my baby within the hour.”

Earlier that same day, Tiffany and her husband had driven to Wagoner from their hometown in Cushing for vacation. “We go to the lake every year with our family and decided to... Read More »

A First Time Mother’s Determination To Breastfeed

Along with the joys of motherhood are the potential challenges. For first time mom Kimberly Mayfield, breastfeeding her daughter Analise was the least of her worries.

“Everyone made it seem like your body would just know how to breastfeed, and that it would not be as hard as you think,” says Kimberly. “I thought whenever the baby is hungry I would feed her, and that is all breastfeeding is.”

Shortly after giving birth, Kimberly soon learned that breastfeeding was much different than what she expected; her excitement for nursing turned into a challenge for her and baby Analise... Read More »

NICU Tradition Spreads Holiday Cheer

After nighttime diaper changes and feedings, and once the last parent has left to return home for rest, Santa’s elves are hard at work behind the doors of the Peggy V. Helmerich Women’s Health Center neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). With the precision of an IV start and scissors in hand, they carefully cut through card stock, dab glue sticks and place shapes of hats, stars and gingerbread men. They are ready for the final touches that make their work one-of-a-kind each and every time, as they pull back blankets to reveal tiny, warm fingers and toes to dip in red and green paint. They... Read More »