Doctor Delivers Baby Girl Same Day She Gives Birth To Her Own Child

FRANKFORT, KY — A Kentucky doctor preparing to give birth to her second child rushed to help another mother in the same hospital as her when she overheard nurses saying that a baby was in distress and needed to be delivered immediately.

Dr. Amanda Hess, an obstetrician, knew that another doctor was on the way, but she knew that the baby needed attention now. In her own words, she "put another gown on to cover my backside, put some splash boots on over my flip flops" and delivered the baby.

The account of Hess working until literally the last second before giving birth was given by Dr. Hala Sabry, a member of the Physician Moms Group. Sabry wrote about the account on the Physician Moms Group Facebook page.

In an interview with NBC News, Amanda Halliday Johnson, the woman whose baby was in distress, said she was about to give birth to her fourth child. She said Hess had examined her during her pregnancy but was not exclusively her doctor, and Hess was not supposed to be on call since she was having her own baby.

"I said you know, I'm not on call, I'm here in a gown, but I think we ought to have the baby," Hess told NBC News.

Halliday Johnson said she had no idea Hess was in labor and described her as being in "doctor mode."

Local news channel Lex 18 reported that Hess' own contractions were just minutes away from starting after she delivered Halliday Johnson's baby.

Both moms gave birth to baby girls.

"Those mamas are bonded for life!" Sabry wrote on Facebook.

"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!"

Image via Dr. Hala Sabry, used with permission