Hospital in Colorado seeing record number of births

LONGMONT, Colo. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - As birthrates across the country are declining, one Colorado community is seeing baby boom, with one hospital setting records on number of births.

Tucked inside UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital, Alexandra Montano's family has eyes on their newest member as baby Colter is still brand new.

"But he's good, he's a good baby," Montano shared.

Big sister Cheynne has her own ideas on what to call him.

"Like we're like his name is Colter. No, that's Bingo. That's Bingo," Montano also shared.

But birthing baby Bingo wasn't their family's first visit in.

"Our first was born here actually and it was one of the newer hospitals in the area that opened up and I'd heard great things about it, and then we loved it so much we came back and had him" Montano added.

"Once we get them in here, they're hooked for life it seems like," said Chris Withbroe, Birth Center Director at the hospital. "We have been very busy this year. In 2024, we had a banner year. We reached over 1,000 births for the first time."

And demand isn't dropping.

"It's been pretty busy. Like, we have a full house...So yeah, we have lots of babies wanting to be born. I think we have five on deck...waiting to be born. So yeah, it's been crazy," Withbroe remarked.

Withbroe says their baby boom is in part from growth in the community. Part of it is the range of delivery options they offer as well as moms and blogs sharing their experiences.

"Word of mouth has definitely been huge for bringing those moms in," Withbroe expressed.

But Longs Peak's new role as a birthing hotspot comes as Colorado's birth rates drop. The State Demographer's Office says that's been declining since the early 2000s, and CDC data shows fewer women are having children nationally, too.

"I mean, even national statistics show that the birth rate is declining, but we're definitely not seeing that here," Withbroe declared.

New additions, like Colter, are keeping birthing suites busy and hospital rooms filled, kicking off another busy year.

"Oh definitely. Yeah, I fully expect that we'll be making records every month again," Withbroe said.

For Montano, their family's role in this baby boom is over, and they're ready to begin their new life as a family of four: "We are complete now."

To handle the demand, UCHealth Longs Peak is adding three new birthing rooms and a new operating room that will open over the summer.