Leap Day Baby Boom at Genesis

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- March 1, 2024 -- Genesis BirthCenter, Davenport, witnessed an extraordinary event on Leap Day Thursday, with seven babies in 24 hours and a potential for ten before midnight.

Genesis BirthCenter manager Kim Nimrick shared that the BirthCenter typically sees about 150 births in February, averaging four to five a day. However, Leap Day was a whirlwind of activity with ten possible births. 

“Having ten moms in labor in one day is already busy for us. But when you factor in the odds of being born on Leap Day, which stands at 1-in-1,461, it becomes a marvelously rare and special day,” Nimrick said.

Nimrick’s 22-year-old daughter Paige Nimrick even pitched in to make the day even more special for parents by knitting special Orange Frog Leap Year caps for the babies.

About MercyOne

Genesis Health System is now part of MercyOne. MercyOne is a connected system of health care facilities and services dedicated to helping people and communities live their best life. MercyOne’s care providers and staff make health the highest priority. The system’s clinics, medical centers, hospitals and affiliates are located throughout the state of Iowa and beyond. Headquartered in central Iowa, MercyOne was founded in 1998 through a collaboration between CommonSpirit Health and Trinity Health (based in Livonia, Michigan) – two of the country’s foremost, not-for-profit Catholic health organizations. MercyOne is now fully owned by Trinity Health.