- Seventeen nurses are pregnant simultaneously at Miami Valley Hospital, breaking the 2019 record of 11
- Pregnant nurses range from 12 to 35 weeks and have formed unique bonds exchanging tips and support
- Nurse manager Amberly Saner said staffing coverage is sufficient despite many going on maternity leave
As many as 17 nurses are currently pregnant at the same time in a US hospital, breaking one of its previous records set in 2019 when 11 women were expecting simultaneously. Several of the nurses in the labour and delivery unit at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, ranging from 12 to 35 weeks pregnant, recently gathered together with their fellow moms-to-be to pose for a photo and commemorate the special occasion.
Several nurses are expecting their first child, while others are expecting second children or beyond, according to a report in ABC News. The women part of the baby boom have formed unique bonds with one another. They are even exchanging tips and experiences with each other, hoping that their children can grow up together.
Amberly Saner, a nurse manager at the hospital's labour and delivery unit, described the baby boom news as "exciting."
"We kind of found out over a period of a couple of months how many people were pregnant, and it just kept growing and growing," Saner told the publication.
Quizzed if 17 nurses going on maternity leave would cause staffing issues at the hospital, Saner highlighted that there were enough nurses for any contingency.
"We have a lot of support nurses that can pick up [shifts]. We also have a lot of part-time staff that can pick up an extra day, and so, we're not too worried about the coverage," Saner said, adding that the hospital employs nearly 200 nurses and support nurses.
Best Friends Pregnant
Best friends Maddie and Rileigh are among the 17 nurses expecting their second children. The five-year hospital colleagues are thrilled to share this journey, with Rileigh planning to have Maddie deliver her baby.
"Maddie and I are actually best friends, so I'm planning on having Maddie deliver my baby," said Rileigh, adding: "There's also no one else that I would trust more delivering my children than the people who work here."
According to Rileigh, the pregnancy was completely unplanned, yet it had turned into a beautiful miracle they were lucky to share.
"It's a really special bond between the nurses, and I think they really enjoy being able to deliver each [other's babies]," she continued. "They're just really comfortable and they trust the people that are in that room with them when they're delivering, and they just want them to care for them. So it's a pretty cool thing."
