The hospital says twice as many babies as usual were delivered during last week’s 12-hour shift
GRAPEVINE, Texas — After 25 years at Baylor Grapevine, OBGYN and ethics chair Julia Flowers has just about seen it all.
Recently, however, she saw something that hadn’t happened in a very long time.
“Unusual,” Flowers said. “I was pretty shocked. It was a lot of work to do in a short time with inclement weather.”
Last week, with winter weather rolling in, a husband and wife rolled up from way out of town.
“We were committed,” said Stacey Fennell. “Jonathan said if anything we’re taking the feed truck and it’s four-wheel drive, so we’re getting to the hospital one way or another.”
Fennell and her husband had driven from Sunset, more than 60 miles away, to give birth to their daughter, Sutton. The surprise wasn’t that they’d come so far, it was what came next.
As nearly three inches of snow was falling, Baylor Grapevine delivered 13 babies in 12 hours, more than double what the staff typically delivers in a 12-hour period.
“Every delivery is special,” Flowers said. “It never becomes routine for us.”
That’s a big reason why, despite the distance, Fennell was committed to giving birth at Baylor since her last delivery there went so well.
Even with the busyness, she said this time was just as special.
“No care lacked at all,” Fennell said. “They still came in like clockwork checking on you, if you needed anything they were there right away. They were real good about it.”
Fortunately for the staff, however, they rarely have to juggle so much. Dr. Flowers said this large of a baby boom only happens once every three or four years and, ironically, usually under the same circumstances.
“Temperatures drop, barometric pressure changes and babies come,” Flowers said.
If that’s true, brace yourselves because there’s no telling what the winter of 2028 might deliver.