Twelve nurses and other staff working together in a Virginia hospital's baby ward were all pregnant at the same time.
The baby boom at the Riverside Regional Medical Centre in Newport News is unlike any the neonatal intensive care unit, or Nicu, has seen before.
“There is something in the water, as some would say,” Nicu nurse manager Kaylee Arsenault said.
“We have historically never seen this many team members on our unit pregnant at the same time in one year.”
Ten nurses, one nurse practitioner and one unit secretary at the centre were all pregnant at the same time, with the first baby arriving in March.
Five of the 12 are first-time mums.
The first girl, born in March, was followed by another girl in May. The others are not far behind, with four expected in July, three in August, one in September and the last due in October. Four more girls, three boys and three “surprises” are expected.
“We all feel extremely supported and we don't have to worry about much if anyone needs anything,” said registered nurse Haley Bradshaw, who is 35 weeks pregnant.
“We’re all here to step in and help if someone takes a break or has a doctor’s appointment. We have each other's backs.”
As to the possible management headache of several mothers heading out on maternity leave en masse, the hospital appears to have it covered.
“Luckily the maternity leaves are relatively staggered so the mums that are currently out will be trickling back in as others go out on maternity leave,” April Weston, director of integrated communications, told The National.
“If there are needs for additional support, we will pull in [on-call] team members.”
The medical centre expressed its support for the staff members and said it looks forward to sharing pictures later this year “when all 12 babies are together”.
The specs
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Tomorrow 2021
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Liverpool v West Ham United
Manchester United v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Burnley
Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
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The five pillars of Islam
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The national orchestra
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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Plastic tipping point
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War on waste
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Power: 480kW
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
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North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
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South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
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Jetour T1 specs
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Dubai World Cup nominations
UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer
USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.
Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.
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Fixtures
Tomorrow 2021
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Results:
2.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
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2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
3.15pm: Conditions (PA) Dh60,000 2,000m.
Winner: Hareer Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,700m.
Winner: Kenz Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh 200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
4.45pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m.
Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
