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Joy in 2020: Southern Hills Hospital sees record number of babies born in November

Southern Hills Hospital sees record number of babies born in November
Southern Hills Hospital sees record number of babies born in November
Posted at 5:37 PM, Dec 01, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-01 22:53:07-05

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Inside Southern Hills Hospital the sounds of a lullaby fill the halls, letting everyone know a baby has arrived. In November, that song was played a lot.

"We did have a record-breaking month," said Kristin Boyle, Women's Services Director at Southern Hills Hospital.

The hospital says it has seen 171 newborns. Something that can remind us of some of the positives found in 2020.

"In the midst of all the unknown right now, we are certain about one thing and that is bringing a new life into the world is a beautiful thing," Boyle said.

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But don't call this a COVID baby boom, at least not yet. These babies were conceived before the pandemic, with the widespread shutdowns making for an interesting pregnancy plot twist.

"It was already too late to think about if it was the right time or not. We went with it," said Navneetha Unnikrishnan, a pediatric gastroenterologist.

Unnikrishnan and her husband found out she was pregnant with their second at the end of March. She said the most challenging part of being pregnant this year was the lack of information.

"Just a lot of anxiety around whether you get it, what it will be like, what will happen to the baby," she said.

Unnikrishnan's OBGYN Christina Nguyen said the anxiety and uncertainty of this year, especially economically, has led to more women seeking out long-term reversible birth control methods like IUDs.

"Most of them are coming in for implants, which is interesting. I've seen a surge in my numbers in that - trying to keep up with the ordering of these devices," said Dr. Nguyen

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But Dr. Nguyen said she's also seen a rise in the number of women with abnormal bleeding.

"Periods are thrown off because of the stress that this has created on women so that may be decreasing ovulation rates and also impacting the number of women that get pregnant," she said.

But in room 219, a 6-pound reminder that even the most stressful times can have a bright spot.

"Despite all the things that everybody went through and all the anxiety, she is a little bundle of joy," said Unnikrishnan.