Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri has just seen a major baby boom among their employees, as 36 of their nurses have either become pregnant or recently given birth. As of the end of July, 21 babies had been born so far this year, and there are 15 more on the way.

“I think being a mom has given me a whole new perspective and now when I take care of a baby I really do … I know what that mom and dad feel like, and this baby is their whole world,” said NICU nurse, Sarah Carbaneau.

Allison Ronco, a 32-year-old critical care education coordinator and nurse, was the first of the women to give birth this year when she welcomed her son Henry on January 7. Surprisingly, she said that this is not the first time the hospital has experienced a baby boom.

“We always have a baby boom going like this. For us, it is just our normal,” she said. “Patients joke not to drink the water in this place unless you want to get pregnant. We definitely truly are all really good friends. We are all raising these babies together.”

The hospital released a statement that they are the only facility in the region with a Level IV NICU, so these nurses care for “some of the most complex and critically ill infants in the Midwest.” Sarah now knows even more about that because her son Ben, who was born in February, was born with a heart defect that he has thankfully recovered from.

“I was a mess because I’ve seen a lot of things [as a nurse],” she said. “It was an out-of-body experience because I knew what to expect when he was getting transported to the NICU.”

Expecting all together has only brought the nurses closer.

“We can chat about it and vent about it and be excited for each other,” said nurse Michelle Janes, who is due to give birth in November. “Especially those of us who already have kids. Many of us give each other opinions on things. We have a Facebook group and we weigh in on everything from diaper rash to kids crawling out of their crib.”

The nurses have been juggling work with countless baby showers, and the women who have already given birth have been scheduling play dates for their children.

“It’s great support and there’s always a mass of toddlers running around,” Michelle said. “And they’re all getting to recognize each other, and that’s fun.”