BIRTH
Anxiety, confusion, terror, relief: Giving birth in pandemic
As the pandemic stretches into a second year and economic worry persists, demographers are studying the reasons for an anticipated pandemic baby bust. Whitnee Hawthorne gave birth to her second son May 7 in a New York hospital. Like Hawthorne, Nneoma Maduike was masked when she gave birth Aug. 1 to her second child, a son, after a pregnancy filled with unknowns. My husband's a doctor and he was still going in every single day and that brought on even more anxiety." I was really concerned to be alone during a pandemic when the hospital was short-staffed.”Thirty hours after giving birth, Teich and her baby were home.
Houston Zoo prepares for birth of two baby Asian elephants this spring
HOUSTON – Two Asian Elephants are preparing for their upcoming birth of their calves this spring at the Houston Zoo. Both mom-to-be elephants are mother and daughter, with 10-year-old Tupelo is up first ahead of her mother, 37-year-old Tess, zoo officials said. They will both give birth at the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat barn under veterinary supervision. Good morning from the elephant yard with mother and daughter Asian elephants, Tess and Tupelo. Posted by Houston Zoo on Wednesday, February 10, 2021Both elephant mothers are due to give birth in the spring and will undergo postnatal care and spend several days bonding behind the scenes.
KPRC 2’s Brittany Jeffers welcomes baby girl
HOUSTON – KPRC 2 reporter Brittany Jeffers has given birth to a baby girl this week. Brittany introduced Vivianne Kristine on Facebook, saying, “My whole world has shifted. You are our everything. … We love you more than words can say.”You can follow all of Brittany’s adorable baby updates on her Facebook page, KPRC2 Brittany Jeffers.
U.S. birth rate falls for 4th year in a row
NBC News reports the final tally of babies born in the U.S. last year confirms that the birth rate fell again in 2018. NBC News’ report notes that Americans are not having enough babies to sustain the population. The total fertility rate for 2018 was 1,729.5 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44. (The fertility rate refers to how many children women have overall; birth rate refers to how many children women have in a single year.) That means each woman needs to have at least two babies to replace fathers and mothers, as well as account for extra deaths.