Couple welcomes baby in Emergency department after rapid labor

Written by Emma Avila, epackard1@iuhealth.org, writer for IU Health’s Metro Region

During an unexpectedly rapid labor, the highly skilled team at IU Health Saxony’s Emergency department delivered a healthy baby girl, despite not having a Maternity unit yet.

Kelsi and Kyle Peacock were expecting to welcome their daughter at a hospital. What they didn’t expect was for Kelsi give birth in an Emergency department.

Kelsi woke up around 5:30 am on New Year’s Day to her water breaking. She and Kyle had planned to deliver at another hospital, but when they called, the clinical team told them not to be concerned or feel rushed.

However, Kelsi’s contractions had other plans.

“My labor just progressed really quickly,” she explains. “It was under two hours. It was a lot faster than we expected.”

With how quickly everything was happening, the Peacocks weren’t sure they would be able to make it to the hospital. With IU Health Saxony Hospital just a couple minutes from their house, they pivoted to the facility’s Emergency department.

“We’ve had family and friends who have worked there, and we’ve had good experiences in the past,” Kyle says. “Honestly, Kelsi was just trying to not have a baby in the car at that point.”

Though the hospital’s team doesn’t regularly deliver babies, the Emergency department team members are trained for anything to walk through the doors.

“Births in the Emergency department are not common as we usually have time to get a laboring mom to a birthing center,” explains Natalie Zipper, manager of clinical operations for IU Health Saxony’s Emergency department. “Delivering babies and caring for newborns is something that our nurses, medics and physicians get in their training. We also do continuing education to keep us competent.”

That training came in handy. The Peacocks arrived at IU Health Saxony around 7 am. Twenty minutes later, they welcomed their daughter to the world.

“Once she got up on that gurney, Kelsi was able to push in a safe environment,” Kyle says.

“We had a safe and healthy delivery and that’s all you can ask for,” Kelsi adds.

Alleta Peacock was born at 7:20 am on New Year’s Day, weighing 8 lbs and 10 oz, measuring at 20 ½ inches long.

“My team prides itself on delivering high-quality, personalized care to those in our community. They were honored that this family put their trust in us to help them bring their baby safely into the world,” Zipper says.

From there, the Peacocks went to IU Health North, where they stayed overnight on the Postpartum unit.

“Everyone did a phenomenal job,” Kyle says. “We had a really great experience.”

They were discharged on January 2 and are enjoying time with their healthy baby girl.

While IU Health Saxony doesn’t have a Maternity unit yet, it will soon. The hospital is in the final phases of construction to nearly double the facility’s campus and add new services.

The Maternity unit will allow moms to labor, deliver and recover in one room. The unit will also include a Special Care Nursery for babies who need more intensive care after birth. Hospital leadership is hiring over 50 highly skilled OB and Special Care Nursery nurses, technicians and lactation consultants to make sure each patient receives the best possible care.

It’s all part of IU Health’s Fishers Community Impact Project, a $300 million investment into one of the fastest growing communities in the United States. When complete, IU Health Saxony will be renamed to IU Health Fishers.

The hospital expansion will add: 50 inpatient beds, bringing the total to 88; new and expanded services in Obstetrics & Gynecology, Ear, Nose & Throat, Nephrology, Neurology and Pulmonology; growth of existing specialty programs in Cardiovascular, Gastroenterology, General Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopedics, Primary Care (pediatric and adult) and Urology; and expansion of support services space to accommodate additional staff and higher patient volumes. The project will be complete before the end of the year.

“I’m very excited that they are developing labor and delivery on the east side of Fishers,” Kyle says. “It’s needed in this area.”

Despite the unexpected turn of events for the Peacocks, the IU Health Saxony team was prepared to help deliver their healthy baby girl.

“It’s not what we initially planned,” Kelsi says, “But God just works and it was apparently meant to be.”