Courtesy photos.
SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital welcomed its first baby of the new year.
New parents, Jessica and Laurence welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Isla, at 4:41 am on Thursday, January 1, 2026, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital (SBCH).
Weighing 8 pounds and 16 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches, Baby Isla’s arrival marked an exciting start to the new year.
As the family begins this new chapter, a sentiment they shared felt especially fitting: “A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care.” — Frank Herbert, Dune
The family is doing well and enjoying time together following the baby’s arrival.
The Birth Center at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital provides compassionate, family-centered care in a warm and welcoming environment, supported by advanced medical services. For babies who need extra support, the Haselton Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a Level III NICU, specially equipped to care for premature or critically ill newborns with round-the-clock monitoring and specialized medical teams.
Families also benefit from access to Cottage Children’s Medical Center, an award-winning regional center offering comprehensive pediatric care, from emergency and intensive care to outpatient services through Grotenhuis Pediatric Clinics.
To learn more, visit cottagehealth.org/womens-services
About Cottage Health | CottageHealth.org
Cottage Health is a not-for-profit health system providing advanced medical care on California’s Central Coast. In the past year, its hospitals in Goleta, Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley cared for 20,733 inpatient admissions, 91,649 emergency department visits and 2,005 newborn deliveries. With more than 700 physicians, including specialists typically found only at university medical centers, Cottage offers expert, comprehensive care. As a teaching institution, it trains physicians through residency programs in medical, surgical, pediatric and radiology specialties. Cottage Health is home to the Central Coast’s only Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center and an advanced comprehensive stroke center. Its specialty services include Cottage Children’s Medical Center, Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital, the Santa Barbara Neuroscience Institute, Cottage Heart & Vascular Center and Cottage Center for Orthopedics. Beyond its hospitals, Cottage expands care through primary and specialty clinics, urgent care centers and 24/7 provider access via Cottage Virtual Care.