KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — It's been a busy couple of months at Tennova North Knoxville Medical Center's birthing center. A spokesperson said the hospital had a record 84 births in July. In September, the hospital smashed that record.
It said 103 babies were born in the birthing center that month, including Leo Merrell.
"I gave birth Sept. 15 and he was 9 pounds 1 ounce at 8:15 a.m. I handed them my birth plan, like, months before I even had him. The second I walked in when I was actually in labor, every single person knew every single detail on that list," said Kira Merrell, Leo's mother. "I noticed a few people in the lobby, like in the waiting area, but I had came in like really late at night. So it was a little bit more calm."
Merrell said, at first, she didn't know she was a part of this record. But, medical providers told her it was good she gave birth when she did.
"I found out towards the end of the month. And then I also found out when I had come in to deliver him and they told me if I'd come in sooner, it would have been hard to find a bed because there were so many (births), but it's awesome for him to be such a part of such an amazing thing," said Merrell.
She said she was not surprised by the area's baby boom that's happening after January's deadly and historic snowstorm.
"I mean, what else is there to do during the snow blizzard?" asked Merrell.
A Tennova spokesperson said the projected number of births for the hospital in October is around 80 and usually it's between 60 and 70 births. She added the busiest months for the hospital for births are July, September, and December. Since this September was a record, she said it's safe to assume there is a correlation with the snowstorm in January.