Oh baby! A Massachusetts hospital is experiencing a baby boom among its nurses.
A dozen nurses, all co-workers in the same intensive care unit at the University Campus of the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, have welcomed 12 babies between 2023 and 2024, and they all happen to be baby boys.
Plus, one of the nurses, Stephanie Fortin, is getting ready to welcome another child, baby no. 13, of the group this October, too! Fortin was also the first out of the dozen nurses to welcome the first baby of the bunch, her son Trey in January 2023.
"I think it was a surprise to all of us, honestly," ICU nurse Stephanie Smith, who welcomed her son Benjamin 7 months ago, told "Good Morning America." "The best part was everyone just kind of sharing, 'We're pregnant,' and then following, like, four weeks later, 'It's a boy,' … I think that was just the funniest part."
The nurses – 11 moms and one dad – have not just been helping patients but also helping each other and along the way, they said they've become more than just co-workers.
"Everyone on the unit is super supportive and helpful," said ICU nurse Monica Serra. "Like Steph, right before I gave birth, she came by with frozen food and stuff like that for us to store in the fridge. So we just have a great network of friends on our unit. It's not just co-workers. We're all a great support system."
Marcia Davidson, who welcomed her first child, a son named Troy six months ago, said she and her fellow nurses would joke that there was "something" in the hospital's water system.
"We keep saying, 'Stop drinking the water here because there's something in it that's causing us all to have baby boys,'" she said with a laugh. "We're all anxious to see who's going to be the first baby girl that's going to break our streak. So that'll be exciting and I'm sure she'll be famous in her own respect on the unit."
In a statement, UMass Memorial Nurse Manager Valerie Fernald said the hospital system was "thrilled" for the nurses, many of whom are first-time parents.
"I think these boys are special gifts to our nurses who have worked so incredibly hard to care for our patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and every day!" Fernald said. "Of course, as the mom of four boys myself, I have a special place in my heart for my 2 Lakeside ICU staff and their beautiful baby boys!"
The nurses said they plan on introducing their little ones to each other if they haven't already.
Nurse Madison Laframboise added that she's "excited for these guys all to grow up together."
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