CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — There are lot of new parents in Hampton Roads as Chesapeake Regional Medical Center experiences a baby boom.
In July they had the most deliveries in one month since 2008 ― 306 to be exact.
On Friday, they celebrated with cupcakes for the staff and a special gift basket for the family of baby No. 306, Rome Cortes of Hampton. His mother Ashley said she was shocked when they told her. “They were so attentive and I never had to wait for anything. So, I never felt there was this hustle and bustle going on at all,” she told WAVY.com
Big brother Noah said he couldn’t even imagine that many babies. “We would need more than a mansion,” he said.
It’s been nearly non stop in the birthplace. One day they delivered 24 babies in 24 hours!
“You just never know here, what’s going to happen,” said nurse Mary Anne Schultz.
Anette Zeigler attests they’ve put a lot of miles on their sneakers.
“Anywhere from 15 to 20 thousand steps a day easily.” And she told WAVY.com they’ve consumed a lot of coffee and candy.
“I always pick up chocolate for the girls.”
So why the sudden uptick in births?
Director Women & Infant Services Lisa Wainwright-Pinion has a theory.
“We are proof that it really happens when there’s a storm in the air ― 9 months later we will be raining babies!” she laughed.
A couple of hurricanes named Florence and Michael reared their ugly heads about nine months ago. Now nurses are meeting a lot of Noahs. Coincidence? Perhaps.
Day two of August is showing signs of a slight slowdown, but believe it or not these nurses are actually hoping things pick up.
“We have to break the record!” Zeigler said.