Summer baby boom at Lois Hole Hospital for Women in Edmonton

Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital is in the midst of a baby boom. While the summer months are typically busier for labour and delivery staff, this summer appears to be different.

“It has been really extremely challenging and busy because we’ve had sustained periods of higher acuity and activity,” said neonatologist Dr. Sowjanya Sivakoti, who works in the Stollery neonatal intensive care unit at the Royal Alex.

Between May and July 2026, 1,720 babies were born at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women inside the Royal Alex — that’s nearly 20 births a day.

“Sometimes we are steady and then we have like, four or five patients coming in and labouring and delivering babies. Sometimes we have five babies in one hour,” Fernanda Fernandes told Global News.

“When I started, they did tell me it was a busy unit — but I had no idea how busy it was,” she said. “We come to work very excited and we’re always wanting to make sure our patients feel safe and that we can provide the best care possible here.”

Dr. Sivakoti believes an increase in fertility drug usage may be playing a role in the number of multiples that have been born at the Lois Hole.

More births also translate to more trips to the NICU — especially when multiples are involved.

“They are tiny, some as little as 500 grams or even smaller,” Sivakoti said. “That ends up requiring a lot of intensive support in terms of their breathing, their circulation, their feeding, nutrition, and other developmental needs.”

Sivakoti said staff at the NICU work as a team — from nurses and doctors to dietitians, respiratory therapists and pharmacists. She said the team has pulled together despite summer staffing challenges.

Two of those patients are Rowan and Harrison Wiese, who were born in early May.

Their mom, Kasidy Wiese, was flown to Edmonton from their hometown of Westlock by STARS Air Ambulance when she started having contractions.

Her twin boys were delivered 14 weeks early via C-section, at the Royal Alex, at 25 weeks and five days of gestation.

“Honestly, it was just such a blur — it happened so fast,” Wiese said.

“We were sort of prepared, but not prepared for them to come in May — especially with their due date in August.”