Mother’s Day Baby Boom

A baby boom—just not the usual kind. This Mother’s Day, the teams that deliver and care for moms and babies are preparing for a wave of their own. Across our Johnson Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Services, nearly 40 nurses have recently given birth or are expecting at the same time. This is a significantly higher number of expectant nurses on our teams than we’ve seen in years past.

“In my 21 years in obstetrics, I have never seen this many pregnant nurses in Labor and Delivery at the same time. It is such a special moment for our team,” says Germaine Albano, director of Patient Care, Obstetrics Services. “In this field, our nurses have a unique ability to truly understand what patients are experiencing, and it has been beautiful to witness the connection and trust that creates.”

Maybe it’s the full moon, or something in the water? Stanford Children’s is seeing a surge in babies being born, and it’s not just among our nursing staff. In the last week of April 2026, 121 babies were born at the Johnson Center, a 23% increase, and a record number (76) of patients were in postpartum compared with an average week. On April 30, 2026, alone we delivered 24 babies, nearly double what we see on an average day.

We’re not sure what is causing the surge, but we’re well prepared to handle the needs of our laboring moms and new babies, no matter the challenges. Our teams are experts in caring for complex pregnancies and able to support moms with the best possible care and safe deliveries. Our maternity unit sets the highest standards in maternal health and childbirth excellence, recently earning a “High Performing” designation for maternity care from U.S. News & World Report for the fifth straight year. We’re also ranked No. 3 in the nation, at the top in California, and Best in the West in Neonatology by U.S. News & World Report, meaning we provide the highest-quality and nurturing care for newborns with critical, surgical, or special medical need.

We don’t expect the deliveries to slow down soon—April through October is typically baby season, when we see the highest levels of deliveries. We’re excited to care for all the new moms and babies over the next few months, even if there will be many more of them than usual.

Whether you became a mom years ago, are currently expecting, or just gave birth recently, all of us at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health wish you a very happy Mother’s Day!