BY SARAH COTTRELL
The 2023 American national birth rate was approximately 12 live births per 1,000 people. According to the March of Dimes, Maine saw a birth rate of 32.8 live births per 1,000 people in 2023. But after what happened in Bangor this past March, some wonder if 2024 will see a baby boom that could nudge those state numbers even higher.
In a delightful plot twist that no one saw coming, Bangor saw an unprecedented flurry of births this past March when the maternity ward at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center helped usher in 20 babies within a jaw-dropping span of only 36 hours.
“I have worked in women’s health for 16 years, and specifically in Labor and Delivery for more than a decade with nearly nine of those years at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center,” said Cindy Bishop, RN. “We recently experienced an unusually busy 36 hours here at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center.”
Bishop explains that the hospital typically averages 135 deliveries monthly or four to five deliveries daily. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the average time during labor for natural childbirth can be from 12 to 24 hours for the first child and 8 to 12 for subsequent babies. A cesarean section typically takes about 45 minutes from start to finish.
So, with so many babies on the way simultaneously, how many available beds did the hospital have?
“Grant 7 has seven labor rooms, two triage rooms, two operating rooms, and 25 private postpartum rooms. During times of increased census, we do utilize rooms and staff from the postpartum unit for deliveries,” Bishop said. “The entire staff on Grant 7, including leadership, pulled together to welcome 20 babies over a 36-hour period.”
Of the 20 births, five were cesarean deliveries. The Grant 7 staff received additional support from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Supplemental Staffing department to help care for parents and newborns.
“We are a major referral center, so in addition to those deliveries, we continued to accept transfers from the region, triage patients 24 hours a day, and care for high-risk antepartum patients as well,” Bishop said.
“When it is this busy, it is all hands on deck, and everyone works together. What was amazing to me was that although all beds were full, we never had to refuse patients from referring facilities. We took care of everyone who came in, and all staff rallied to make it work,” said Tricia Sennett, BSN, RNC-MNN, nurse manager for Labor and Delivery and OB/GYN. “Many staff who were called came in to help even if they could only work a partial shift to help with the influx of patients. It is no secret that we have a high-functioning team here on Grant 7, both days and nights, and this truly proves that point. We are very lucky.”
So, what may have inspired the sudden baby boom?
“We can only speculate the cause of this baby boom. Many think that a rainy June in 2023 contributed to this busy time,” said Bishop. “The teamwork witnessed was a reminder of how fortunate I feel to be a part of such an amazing team and organization.”
