Twin births at Unitypoint Health St. Luke’s Hospital reach a record high

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – A hospital in Eastern Iowa is commemorating a different kind of baby boom as National Nurses Week draws to a close. In March, Unity Point Health St. Luke’s Hospital welcomed eleven sets of twins.

According to the hospital, four out of every five babies born in Cedar Rapids are delivered there. The National Health Service estimates that the likelihood of having twins is about one in every 250 pregnancies.

The hospital delivered six pairs of twins and a set of triplets in April, which was higher than typical. Twin deliveries present a unique challenge for the St. Luke’s personnel.

“We do try to get them in the same room as soon as possible,” Emma Trimble, a registered nurse at UnityPoint Health St. Luke’s Hospital, said. “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.”

For both nurses and families, the task of caring for twins effectively doubles. There’s a lot for many new parents 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,” Tami Roseberry, another registered nurse at St. Luke’s, said.

Although the NICU can be a stressful area of the hospital, the St. Luke’s staff values its close-knit community.

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

According to St. Luke’s, it delivers close to 2,500 newborns annually.