On Tuesday an electrical fire in a roof cavity forced the evacuation of some areas of Calvary Hospital.
Wendy Higgs was just signing discharge papers with her partner Nathan Randall days after an emergency caesarean, where they welcomed their baby daughter Annabeth to the world.
While they were signing, the alarm went off.
"Nathan was loaded up like a donkey with baby in one arm and I was carrying way too much stuff for someone who had just had major surgery," Ms Higgs said.
"There were women with their babies in pyjamas and hospital gowns still with their catheter bags and things."
Ms Higgs praised how the nurses and midwives handled the evacuation, but said there was a clear sense of panic on the ground as it was happening.
"Partners [were] freaking out because they did not know where we were going or what was happening," she said.
No one was harmed as a result of the incident, but operating theatres will be closed at Calvary for at least two weeks.
That means women going into labour will be diverted to either the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children or Calvary John James.
Ms Higgs is concerned about the impact this could have.
"It would be really scary — where you are giving birth and how you are going to do it — it is an important process to have lined out for you," she said.
"It is such an out-of-control experience, having those small areas of control can really be something to hang on to."
In a statement, a Calvary Hospital spokesman said "five to six" women per day have been redirected for birthing.
"Elective caesarean sections are being transferred to Calvary John James Hospital," he said.
Some women have returned to Calvary for post-natal care.
Arrangements in place to allow Calvary midwives to work elsewhere
In a statement to the ABC, an ACT government spokesperson said Calvary midwives would be able assist at other hospitals.
"Arrangements are in place to allow staff, including midwives, from Calvary Public Hospital Bruce and ACT Health to assist with the extra maternity services workload at both Centenary Hospital for Women and Children and Calvary John James," they said.
The head of the Nursing and Midwifery Federation in the ACT, Matthew Daniel, said that needs to be managed properly.
"We have got a range of questions around the legalities to make sure that both patients and staff that relocate are covered," Mr Daniel said.
Mr Daniel said some Calvary staff have also raised concerns about health and safety in the aftermath of the fire.
"Some of them have told us they have got their own health concerns as a result of being exposed to the fire and the smoke," he said.
"They have raised work, health, safety concerns that they believe potentially put them at greater risk as a result of the fire."
'Almost 120 elective surgeries disrupted'
In a statement to the ABC, a Calvary Hospital spokesman said urgent surgery cases have been prioritised to go ahead.
"Almost 120 patients had their elective surgery disrupted," he said.
"Urgent cases have been prioritised to proceed at Calvary Private Hospital and Calvary John James Hospital."
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the theatres would be unusable for "quite some time."
"There is absolutely no way Calvary will be able to meet its elective surgery target this year," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
"Where the fired occurred and the theatres around that were damaged – that is going to be quite some time to repair."
