Burbank Baby Boom

Irma Lemus

MEDIA DISTRICT WEST-- When doctors told Ana Montalvo-Hargitay that her

due date was Jan. 1, 2000, she was excited by the news. As it turned out,

little Zoltan Anthony Hargitay had other plans. He didn’t arrive until

eight days later.

Weighing in at 7 pounds, 14 ounces, Zoltan, who was born Sunday, was

among dozens of babies making their debut into the world at Burbank’s

Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center Labor and Delivery Ward in the

past few weeks.

The higher-than-average birth rates can be attributed to a desire by

parents to have one of the first Y2K babies, hospital officials said.

Debbie Noble, the director of ambulatory woman services at Providence,

said the Y2K rush started at the end of December and hit its peak during

the first week of 2000.

“It seemed like the nurses just wanted to catch their breath,” Noble

said.

Zoltan Hargitay Sr. said he and his wife intentionally aimed for a New

Year’s baby.

“I didn’t want the baby to come in 1999,” Hargitay said. “I thought it

would be great to start off the new century with a new baby -- in a way I

was also reborn.”

The Valley Glen couple said they stayed home on New Year’s Eve in

order to prepare for what they believed would be the birth of their first

child the next day. Family members and friends anxiously awaited Zoltan’s

birth on Jan. 1, but it didn’t happen.

Noble said Zoltan’s parents weren’t alone. Many couples shooting for a

Jan. 1 birthday instead delivered days into 2000.

During a 24-hour period between Jan. 5 and 6, about 25 babies were

born at Providence, considerably more than usual, Noble said. Since the

beginning of December, the hospital has delivered 251 babies, including a

whopping 10 sets of twins, officials said.

“We never had an empty room,” said Noble, who pointed out that the

hospital is equipped with 10 delivery and recovery rooms.

Sose Bekmezian’s daughter, Natalie, was born at Providence at 5:29

a.m. on Jan. 1, making her the first baby of the new year in Burbank.

Bekmezian said she and her husband, Ara, weren’t trying for a Y2K baby.

Her due date was Jan. 6.

“We were at a family get together on New Year’s Eve,” Bekmezian said.

“I’m really lucky to have the first baby born in Burbank. I was really

surprised.”

Dr. David Newfield, chairman of the hospital’s obstetrics department,

said the number of births was high but not entirely unexpected. Newfield

said there are always a lot of births in late December and early January.

He said the transition to 2000 has been about as busy as he can remember.

Montalvo-Hargitay, who delivered Zoltan by caesarean section, said she

was not upset that her son wasn’t born on the first day of 2000. Jan. 9

was close enough.

“I’m just happy to start the new year with my new baby,” she said.