A Baby Boom! Kansas Hospital Has 15 NICU Nurses Pregnant at the Same Time

Something is up in the air at Saint Luke's Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Kansas City, as 15 of its nurses are pregnant or have given birth in the last few months.

The nurses' pregnancy was announced on the hospital's Facebook page, and they also got some media mileage via "Good Morning America." The show gifted each mom with GMA-printed onesies, a baby carrier, a baby swaddle, and gift cards.

During the show, Kristen Lutz, another nurse, revealed that she's also in the early stages of the pregnancy, surprising even her co-workers. This makes her the 15th staff to be pregnant in the same unit.

NICU nurses are usually a tight-knit group. They have a special bond as co-workers because of their shared experiences caring for high-risk babies. Nurse Caitlin Hall said that when she had her baby via an emergency C-section, she was certainly glad to be supported by her fellow NICU nurses.

Baby Boom at Other NICU Units

At the Children's Hospital in Richmond, nearly a dozen NICU nurses were also pregnant within six months in 2021. During this period, the moms had to make the tough choice to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but WRTV reported that they all had the jab at different times of their pregnancies. Some of the nurses, who were breastfeeding, also got their vaccines.

Nurse Rachel Seese said that the pregnant NICU nurses have a group text, sharing their ups and downs during this most exciting phase in their lives. Nurse Megan Spataro appreciates the support she gets from her fellow nurses, especially since it's her first baby.

The Banner Desert Medical Center in Arizona also had a baby boom in 2018, with 16 NICU nurses pregnant and sharing their journey to motherhood at the same time. The nurses were unaware that many of them were expecting until a first-time mom opened up about her pregnancy struggles in their Facebook group and a lot of them chimed in.

The NICU nurses organized a group baby shower, and the hospital had to make adjustments and new arrangements as some of the moms started their 12-week maternity leave.

36 NICU Nurses Pregnant in Kansas in 2019

But the record of having the highest group of NICU nurses pregnant at the same time likely goes to the Children's Mercy Hospital, also in Kansas City. This happened in 2019, before the pandemic, per People.

Nurse Allison Ronco said that this was not a surprise since they have baby boom seasons at the hospital. The mom said that some patients joke about not drinking the water unless they want to have a baby.

Sarah Carbaneau, who works at the NICU's Level IV for the most complex cases, said that her baby was also admitted to her wing because of his heart defect. As a nurse, Carbaneau noted that she had seen the worse situations with babies that left her with anxieties. Thankfully, her baby recovered, thanks to the care of her co-workers.