When Russell Winchel had the chance to help deliver his daughter, he jumped at the opportunity.
“I was a little nervous at first, but once she starting coming I couldn’t help but want to take her and hold her,” the Sparta resident said about the delivery of his daughter at Tomah Health Sept. 27. “It was probably the most amazing thing I’ve ever done.”
Wrenley Winchel was born to Russell and Sierra Boardman at 1:56 p.m., weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces and 19 inches long.
“I thought he was going to wimp out, but I was really excited that he actually followed through with it,” Sierra said of Russell’s efforts. “It was really cool to see him be all gloved up and being there and wanting to do it. He did really good,” she added.
Tomah Health labor and delivery registered nurse and nurse midwife student Paige Woggon said it was a special moment to have Russell be part of his daughter’s birth. “I always love when dads want to be involved – it adds a lot more labor support, so it was very exciting when he wanted to glove up and help deliver his daughter,” Woggon said. “After baby’s head was out, he helped deliver the rest of her body, caught her and put baby up on mom’s chest, so it was a very special moment.”
It is the first child for Russell and Sierra, who were overjoyed with their experience. “The staff was very helpful and willing to let me participate – that was really nice,” Russell said. “It was amazing and all the staff was super helpful the whole time. I loved it here,” Sierra added.
The birth was also special for Woggon since it marked the halfway point in her training to become a certified midwife.
“It’s been amazing,” Woggon said of her training. “I absolutely love Tomah Health and I feel like I have been learning from my preceptors who are fantastic. I have learned so much during the three-months that I have been here.” She has been working on her clinical training with Gundersen Health System staff since July.
Woggon has been a registered nurse since 2014 and worked in the Women’s Health Dept. at Tomah Health the last five years. “When I was a registered nurse here, I just wanted to do more,” Woggon said of her decision to deliver babies. “I wanted to be able to develop more of relationship with the women from their first OB appointment to when they deliver. I like developing that relationship and having a good bond with them,” Woggon explained.
Tomah Health officials say their Women’s Health Department has had a flurry of activity in September with 14 babies born in the past two weeks.
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