MESA, Ariz. (AP) - A baby boom is brewing at a suburban Arizona hospital where 16 intensive care nurses recently discovered they are all pregnant.
The nurses at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa outside Phoenix joked Friday they thought there was something in the water when it became clear they were all expecting babies between October and January.
Nurse Rochelle Sherman, nearly eight months along, says: "I don't think we realized just how many of us were pregnant until we started a Facebook group."
Ashley Adkins was one of the first nurses to make a pregnancy announcement.
"So it was me, then I found out one of the other girls was pregnant and then it was two ot us, then it was another, another, then another one," Adkins said.
For Paige Packard, this time around is bittersweet after losing her infant son three years ago due to a heart defect.
"It ended up being a sad story. He didn't make it, and it's been a long journey -- fertility journey -- ever since," Packard said.
Hospital officials note that the Banner chain has a pool of floating nurses that should ensure shifts are covered.
"We all formulated a plan to have the holidays off," one of the expecting moms said.
The nurses said their colleagues are throwing a group baby shower next week. The hospital on Friday gave the women one-piece rompers reading, "Relax! My mom is a Banner nurse!"