August 17, 2020
Staff and physicians on the 4 East labour and delivery unit at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women worked together to deliver a record 609 babies in July.
Story by Sharman Hnatiuk | Photo by Ken Dalton
July is always a busy month for deliveries at the Royal Alexandra Hospital’s Lois Hole Hospital for Women (LHHW), but July 2020 turned into one for the record books with 609 births, including 32 babies on one day alone, 20 of whom arrived within a nine-hour span.
“On average our team would usually deliver 18 babies per day. In addition to the 32 babies on July 8, we had 24 to 28 babies delivered on July 2, 3, 10, 13, 15 and 24,” says Candace Henriques, assistant head nurse, 4East labour and delivery.
“It was amazing to have so many deliveries within a 24-hour period. July 8 was certainly the busiest day of my 10-year career in women’s health.”
The increased volume throughout July came about in part due to the temporary closure of the Misericordia Community Hospital due to COVID-19. In addition to the LHHW, the Grey Nuns Hospital and Sturgeon Community Hospital in St. Albert also helped accommodate deliveries across the Edmonton Zone during the temporary closure.
In major birth centres across Alberta, there are five different units that expectant mothers may access along their healthcare journey: assessment, antepartum, labour and delivery, the operating room, and postpartum. At the LHHW, all areas pitched in to accommodate the surge in deliveries at the site.
Throughout the month, the LHHW’s gynecological team shared their staff and operating room for emergent caesarean sections to help accommodate the additional patient flow at the site.
The increased activity on the labour and delivery unit was also supported by the LHHW’s antepartum and postpartum teams, who provide care to all the parents and families before and after birth.
“People pitched in on different units when needs arose — it was amazing to see the teamwork and support our staff and physicians displayed to help ensure all patients and babies got the care they needed,” says Henriques.
“Our team worked incredibly well to help welcome Alberta’s newest residents.”
