Hospital sees high number of twin births

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG/Gray News) - As National Nurses Week wraps up, one Iowa hospital is celebrating a different kind of baby boom. Eleven sets of twins were born at Unity Point Health St. Luke’s Hospital in March.

The hospital reports it delivers four out of every five babies born in Cedar Rapids. According to the National Health Service, roughly one out of every 250 pregnancies has the chance to bring twins.

Even in April, the hospital delivered more twins than usual; six pairs of twins and a set of triplets. For the St. Luke’s staff, delivering twins serves as a special challenge.

“We do try to get them in the same room as soon as possible,” said Emma Trimble, a registered nurse at UnityPoint Health St. Luke’s Hospital. “My favorite part about the job is being able to help the families and see them grow, starting with their super itty bitty baby at 28 weeks and then all the way to a full-size baby going home.”

Delivering twins essentially doubles the work for nurses and families alike. Many new parents have a lot to learn.

“That’s a very rewarding time for us, to get to bring them and to ease them into parenthood and encourage them to be here and ask questions,” said Tami Roseberry, another registered nurse at St. Luke’s.

The neonatal intensive care unit can be a stressful part of the hospital, but the staff at St. Luke’s said they are happy to be close-knit.

“We call the people that we work with our work family,” Tami said. “We draw a lot of strength from each other.”

The hospital said it delivers nearly 2,500 babies every year.