BARRIE -- Residents at Dufferin Oaks Long Term Care home in Shelburne are wondering if there's something in the water.

Sixteen of the retirement home's nurses and support workers gave birth to a whopping 17 babies in 2019.

"It was almost an epidemic!" laughs resident Jean Molter.

Molter sits inside the dining hall at the long-term care home, holding a baby in her arms with mom closeby.

The oldest of the 17 babies is just one-year-old. The youngest is a month.

"It's unprecedented," says the director of care for Dufferin Oaks, Jenny Power. "I don't know a time when we've had so many mat leaves before. You know, one or two maybe, but not this many."

As pregnancy after pregnancy was announced, the expectant mothers were equally surprised.

"It was kind of like, 'Who's gonna be next?!'" says mom and Registered Practical Nurse Tasha Post. Her daughter Mavis is six-and-a-half months old.

Hailey Kinsley is one of the last to give birth. Her daughter Olivia is just over a month old. "To be honest, I was scared to tell my boss!" she chuckles.

(Some of the moms who gave birth in 2019 are photographed with their children. Photo cred: Rebecca Hall, Dufferin Oaks)

But the infectious pattern has been a hit.

Residents are thrilled, and management is coping. The moms regularly visit the home with their wee ones in tow.

"I think it's wonderful that they bring them in and share with us," admits Molter. "It's been a long time since we've had little ones around."

"A lot of the residents were monitoring our pregnancies," adds Emily Bonello, a Registered Practical Nurse, with new daughter, Ella. "I had a resident say, 'oh, don't worry, if you deliver here you'll be fine. I delivered both my kids!'"

The trend also strengthened the bond among the moms.

"We talked about being sick at work - how we got through our morning sickness," recalls mom and nurse, Megan Long.

"Somebody's always up at four in the morning. You can always text somebody," adds Bonello.

The 17 bundles of joy have caused a slight staffing issue.

"We're struggling a little bit, but we're constantly hiring, and getting some new staff in," says Power.

Despite the temporary struggles, the director of care is banking on a long-term return.

"We're hopefully going to have some additional new staff," she says with a laugh as she looks at the nearby babies. "In the future!"