Antelope Valley Medical Center Delivers the First Baby of 2022

Baby Nathan was born in the early morning hours on January 1st

Lancaster, CA, January 1, 2022 – Nearly 4,500 babies are born annually at Antelope Valley Medical Center (AVMC), and the cycle begins anew each January with the celebration of the first birth of the year. As such, at 12:15am, AVMC welcomed the first baby of 2022, with the arrival of baby Nathan. Born January 1, 2022, Nathan Alexander Garcia Gonzalez weighed in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 18.7 inches long. He was born to Mariana N. Gonzalez.

As the community’s first baby of 2022, Nathan and his mother were given a large gift basket provided by the AVMC Auxiliary that included a variety of baby items, such as a car seat, blankets, clothes, socks, baby supplies, and stuffed animals. Founded in 1957, the Auxiliary is a group of volunteers dedicated to raising funds through the hospital gift shops, thrift shop, and other seasonal events.

The hospital has had a history of excellence in maternity care. AVMC’s Women and Infants Pavilion, provides a spacious maternity care facility, with a complete array of obstetrical and newborn services. It features 48 private Couplet Care rooms that are furnished with special beds and bassinets, so that mother and baby can stay in the same room until they go home. AVMC also provides the area’s only neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to care for our region’s tiniest and most vulnerable patients. The NICU combines advanced technology and highly trained healthcare professionals to provide specialized care.

As a designated Baby-Friendly birth facility, AVMC’s lactation team ensures optimal level of care for infant feeding and for mother infant bonding. The team empowers new mothers to feel confident about breastfeeding, which in turns provides numerous health benefits to their newborns.

“Congratulations to the new mom and welcome baby Nathan!”, stated Ed Mirzabegian, AVMC CEO. “We thank you for putting your trust in our hospital, in helping deliver your newest family member. We’re proud to have delivered tens of thousands of AV community members since opening our doors in 1955.”