'Pope babies' make their debuts at Phila. hospitals

Colleen Elwood is Catholic, but she decided weeks ago that the pope's visit and the Sept. 30 due date for her first child were not a good combination.

"Religion took a backseat at that moment," she said.

Elwood, 32, a public health nurse who lives near 23d and South Streets, thought getting across town this weekend to Pennsylvania Hospital, where she had received all her prenatal care, would be "too hectic."

So on Thursday, she drove to her parents' house in Fort Washington to wait out the craziness. Almost immediately, the contractions started.

By 5:56 p.m., she became the first woman to have a "pope baby" at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery in East Norriton.

Brady Nash Elwood, who weighed just under five pounds, arrived on his father Hunter's 33d birthday.

Earlier in the day, Siham Darrazi and her husband, Abdelaziz Beljed, faced a tough decision when she started having pains at 36 weeks. She had her prenatal care at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, but the Northeast Philadelphia couple did not want to get stuck in Center City all weekend. They took her medical chart to Abington Memorial Hospital, where Safwan Beljed was born by cesarean section at 12:22 p.m.

Like other pregnant patients at Pennsylvania Hospital, Colleen Elwood had also been given a paper copy of her chart, which recorded an uncomplicated pregnancy. She had already checked out Einstein's suburban hospital; a friend had delivered her child there.

"I tried to be as prepared as possible," she said. But Brady was in a big hurry. Colleen's contractions were seven minutes apart when she and Hunter left for the hospital. She was fully dilated and doubled over in pain when she walked in a half-hour later.

She was happy with her decision Friday. The staff at Einstein was "welcoming and kind," parking was easy, and she had a great view of farmland from her window.

Deborah Driscoll, chair of obstetrics and gynecology for Pennsylvania Hospital and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, said the two hospitals had delivered a typical number of babies - 22 to 26 - over the last two days.

Doctors scheduled some elective C-sections a little early this week so patients could get home before the hoopla.

Patients having contractions have been instructed to call the labor floor for instructions on meeting police, who will escort them to the hospital.

Driscoll said one couple from New Jersey reserved a hotel room in the city so they could be near Pennsylvania Hospital.

Hospital staffers have called all patients who are near their due date to answer any questions, and gave them access to their electronic medical records, in case they needed to deliver elsewhere.

"We want them to be safe," Driscoll said. "That's our priority."

sburling@phillynews.com

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