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Heavily Pregnant Doctor Holds Off Giving Birth To Deliver Another Woman’s Baby

Heavily Pregnant Doctor Holds Off Giving Birth To Deliver Another Woman’s Baby

What an incredible woman

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

While giving birth is a beautiful, amazing thing, it also usually comes with a lot of stress, pain and panic - particularly if things aren't going smoothly. That's what a hospital in Kentucky recently experienced when Leah Halliday Johnson went into labour.

Nurses quickly realised that Leah's baby was in distress but had to wait for the on-call doctor to return from his break.

In an incredible twist of luck, Doctor Amanda Hess was in hospital off-duty as she was also about to give birth herself - she rushed to the rescue to help Leah deliver her baby daughter.

"Doctors are always thinking of their patients even when they're a patient themselves," Doctor Hess told the Lexington Herald Leader:

Doctor Hess
Doctor Hess

Credit: NBC

"I just put on another gown to cover up my backside and put on some boots over my shoes, to keep from getting any fluid and all that stuff on me, and went down to her room, and I knew her."

Leah has told NBC: "She was definitely in doctor mode.

"My husband noticed something was going on because she had on a hospital gown, but I didn't notice that because I was on the delivery table. I was in my own world there."

Leah after giving birth
Leah after giving birth

Credit: NBC

Doctor Hess, who works in obstetrics and gynaecology, had actually done a check up on Leah a few days before she was due to give birth. Once Leah's daughter was safely delivered, Doctor Hess was able to give birth to her second child, whom she named Ellen Joyce.

Dr Hala Sabry, an online colleague of Doctor Hess, wrote on Facebook: "Those mamas are bonded for life! And Baby Ellen (and her big sister Kate) will have fun hearing this story when they are older. Doctor moms consistently take care of their own families as well as their patients and their respective families all the time. Great job, Dr. Hess. Now enjoy your maternity leave."

Kentucky hospital
Kentucky hospital

Credit: Google Maps

Leah adds: "She's definitely earned her time off. I appreciate what she did for my family, and it speaks a lot to who she is as a woman and a mother as well as a doctor. It makes you feel better, bringing a baby girl into the world, knowing there are women like her willing to step up like that."

It's not every day that you go into labour, but it's definitely a rare occasion where you have to hold off from giving birth to help another woman in need. But she cracked on like an absolute professional and got the job done.

Good on you, Doctor Hess.

Featured Image Credit: Dr Hala Sabry/Facebook

Topics: Pregnancy, Birth