Something very special is happening at the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women. Recently, 15 nurses in the unit were pregnant at the same time. Three of those nurses have delivered, and another nurse became pregnant. The nurses are finding support from one another and are definitely planning playdates!
Savannah Sims, RN in the NICU, is expecting a boy at the end of October.
“It was really a blessing to have such a strong support system of women from the very beginning,” said Savannah. “There is a good mix of first-time moms and experienced mothers who are expecting or have recently delivered. As a first-time mother myself, it is nice to be able to talk to my peers about our symptoms, feelings and plans. We also get to celebrate each other.”
Chelsea Fitzpatrick, RN, has been a nurse at the NICU for almost eight years. She’s 30 weeks along in her pregnancy and expecting a girl in November.
Chelsea commented, “It has been an extremely fun experience being pregnant at the same time as my co-workers. We share our experiences, symptoms, cravings and complaints with one another. Everyone is super supportive.”
There are benefits to having so many pregnant colleagues.
“We will change each other’s patients’ diapers if we are feeling nauseous or fatigued. We are also there emotionally for one another for fears of becoming a new mother. We are not only co-workers, but lifelong friends,” said Chelsea.
Savannah said that the experienced mothers help to ease the minds of the new mothers, but the first-time moms are also bonding.
“We get to celebrate all of those first milestones together like first ultrasound or first time hearing the heartbeat,” noted Savannah.
Was this the plan all along for so many nurses in the NICU to be pregnant at the same time? According to Savannah, it was “completely an accident.”
She said, “People will joke that there was a pregnancy pact, but really it was all just a coincidence and timing. The three of us that are all due within a week of each other all got married within a year’s time.”
Chelsea leans more toward the pact idea.
“There is usually always at least one pregnant person in the unit. A few of us had joked around about having a pregnancy pact last year, so it was always an idea. We never imagined it would come to fruition and for it to be this many people,” said Chelsea.
However it came about, there will be playdates.
“Many of the nurses’ kids already have playdates, so we will be adding to the fun,” said Chelsea.
News Channel 3 in Memphis recently featured the NICU nurses. Click here to view the video or here to read the story.
