'It's a boy!,' 'It's a girl!' times eight

ST. PAUL, Minn., July 10 (UPI) -- Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., suffered no lack of labor during a 17-hour period when 16 babies were delivered, a hospital record.

The rush of deliveries came on one of the busiest days for births each year, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Thursday.

"All of the doctors and midwives had their backups in," said Debbie McIlhon, one of Regions' labor and delivery nurses. "We covered it. It was crazy."

They ended up with an even split -- eight boys and eight girls.

Other hospitals have surpassed Regions' record, the newspaper reported, but they are bigger and handle more deliveries overall. Twice since 1990, nearby United Hospital delivered 29 babies in one day, state records show.

Second-time mom Jennifer Cook, delivered daughter Megan Rose in the wee hours Wednesday.

"There's just all kind of babies everywhere," said Cook, who also works in the hospital's cardiovascular unit.