By 8 a.m., the pediatric department at Naval Hospital (NH) Jacksonville is already running on its usual rhythm while four Sailors moved through it carrying more than their duty assignments.
None of them had planned to be pregnant at the same time. It had simply happened — four women, one department, overlapping timelines that made the department equal parts harder and more bearable to work. They understood each other's exhaustion without needing to explain it, covered for each other without being asked, and carried the particular weight of caring for other people's children while carrying their own.
Hospital Apprentice Elizabeth Dickey, who is due in a few weeks, has said she has been craving chocolate milk. Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Azeriah Hunt, who has spent her entire career at NH Jacksonville, held a gender reveal party where she ended up selecting the only cupcake revealing the blue center. Hospitalman Chelsea Marquez could be having a New Years baby with her due date set at Jan. 5. New mother Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Mikaela Pierre began the succession by delivering her daughter, Alexandria, in April.
“I’m glad I can be here to answer all their questions and reassure them,” said Pierre. Pierre said her birth experience included a cesarean section, which has been one of the main topics of conversation in the office for the first-time mothers.
When asked if their job duties might have better prepared them for the upcoming parenting adventure, a resounding yes came from each Sailor.
“I see a lot of first-time parents come in and hear what is normal and what isn’t,” said Hunt. Dickey echoed her sentiment.
“I see common problems parents are concerned about and listen to the providers answer their questions,” she said.
While Hunt and Dickey are having boys, Marquez is expecting a daughter. She was delighted to find out the child’s sex.
“It’s like having a built-in best friend – a mini me,” she said.
The expectant mothers shared that Pierre has started a trend of passing down items as her daughter outgrows or doesn’t use. She also shares her sage wisdom with the expectant trio.
“Take all the help you can get, and get all the sleep you can now,” she says with a grin.
The entire office shares in their experience, including new father Hospitalman Garrett Woodruff. One staff member even shared how she knows the new parents are learning skills they can bring back into the workplace.
“I’m so excited for these Sailors, because I know they are enriching their lives while becoming more capable pediatric corpsman,” said Pediatric Clinic Manager Teresa Botkin. “These first-time parents will better understand what our patients and their parents are going through.”