Doctor in hospital to give birth stops to deliver patient's baby

— -- Dr. Amanda Hess, an obstetrician-gynecologist, was preparing to have labor induced for the birth of her second daughter at a Kentucky hospital when another patient’s scream led her back to work.

“I was waiting for an IV, was waiting to get hooked up to the monitors,” Hess, of Frankfort, told ABC News. “My husband actually said, ‘Is that a woman screaming?’”

Hess learned that the scream came from one of her own patients, Leah Johnson, also of Frankfort, who was in labor at Frankfort Regional Medical Center with her fourth child.

Johnson’s contractions were speeding up but the on-call doctor had not yet arrived. Hess got out of her own hospital bed to help.

“When I came down the hall way to her room I made sure I put another gown to cover my backside,” Hess recalled. “It looked pretty normal. I don't think you could tell, except for the back, that I was wearing a hospital gown.”

Johnson’s daughter was born safely and healthy with the help of Hess. Nearly 12 hours later, Hess delivered her own healthy daughter.

The two moms reconnected over Skype.

“I lucked out to be in the hospital with you,” Johnson told Hess. “I tell you, I had no idea when you came into the room that that’s what was going on."

Hess called Johnson’s delivery of her fourth child “amazing.”

“I'm impressed with how you did,” she told Johnson. “I can't believe how fast you went and you were totally in control.”