By the time a woman delivers her third child, there aren’t many surprises left.

However, when Nicole Stone delivered her third baby two months ago, there were pleasant surprises all along her pregnancy journey, including in the delivery room.

When Stone became the vice principal at South Decatur Elementary, it made sense to find an obstetrician closer to her work for ease of appointments. She chose Anxhela Treska, MD, an OB/GYN at DCMH since 2014. And for that reason, Stone’s third child was her first delivered at Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH)

“From the very first appointment with Dr. Treska, I felt very comfortable with her and that I could ask her anything,” says Stone. “I went through a couple of miscarriages, and she was super supportive and committed to helping me carry a baby to full term.”

When it came time for delivery – in Stone’s case a Caesarian section – she says the experience was top notch. “Every nurse was wonderful and made us feel very well cared for and also respectful of our privacy. Everyone in the delivery room was happy and excited for us. Even though surgery isn’t really the way you want to go, it was flawless.”

The one not-so-pleasant surprise, of course, was being pregnant during a pandemic. However, Stone gives kudos to Dr. Treska and DCMH for keeping them in the loop on policies as they were updated in the months leading up to delivery.

“I can’t imagine if it was my first one. But I knew what to expect in general. By the time I delivered, my husband Paul was able to be with me during delivery and come in and out of the hospital as needed.” The only disappointing part for Stone was the fact that her two older boys couldn’t meet their big brother at the hospital.

However, they’ve now had plenty of time to get to know their new sibling. Once school started, the boys headed off to kindergarten and first grade, leaving mom and baby at home to enjoy the remainder of her maternity leave. She’ll be heading back to work in November.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing,” she says. “This is our last baby, and it was a great experience.”