Not sure about you, Belas, but we feel like we are in the midst of a baby boom. Apparently, it’s not our imagination, either — Hospitals throughout the Midwest are reporting an increase in deliveries this fall. Being referred to as Polar Vortex Babies, Blizzard Babies, or Snowstorks, these babies are coming nine months on the heels of one of the coldest winters on record and spiking the number of deliveries during the already busiest birth months of the year, September, October, and November. In Pittsburgh, one hospital has seen a nearly 30% increase in the number of deliveries and obstetricians and hospitals across Illinois are happily welcoming the increase in the number of births after a nationwide decline in delivery numbers since the 2008 recession; with a 20-40 percent decline in births since 2008. 'Too cold to go anywhere,' 'just trying to stay warm' and 'snow storms preventing access to contraception' are a few of the theories behind the baby boom. Whatever the reason, we completely understand the desire to cuddle up and unwind with a loved one and we couldn’t agree more with the sentiment shared by new mom Courtney Cassett of Cranberry, PA, 'every birth is its own ‘dream come true’.' We wish all the new parents our very best!