By Staff
She’s first babyborn this yearat medical center
By TED STRONG
Staff Writer
Jamyiah Mae Parker is 17 hours younger than the new year, which makes her the first baby born this year at Beaufort County Medical Center.
The 4 pound, 10-ounce girl was born at 5 p.m. New Year’s Day.
Davenport said her daughter’s birthday is one month before her birthday, which is Feb. 1.
The baby, who is 18 1/2 inches long, also is the daughter of Marquis Parker. Jamyiah is Davenport’s first child.
There wasn’t any race for the first baby born at the hospital in 2009; Davenport was the only mother in labor New Year’s Day, said Joyce Baker, manager of women’s services at the hospital.
Another baby was delivered by scheduled Caesarean section Friday morning, Baker said.
Davenport received a gift basket from hospital volunteers for being the hospital’s first new mother of the new year. The basket included a blanket hand-made by a volunteer, a blanket made by students at Washington Montessori School, a gift card, crib fittings, swaddling and other things of use to the mother of a new-born baby.
Davenport was expecting to be the year’s first new mother at the hospital because Jamyiah’s due date was originally set for Jan. 16. After she arrived at the hospital ahead of schedule, Davenport said, she thought Jamyiah might be the first baby of the new year born at the hospital.
Davenport said Jamyiah is a reference to her first name.
Mother and daughter expect to head home from the hospital today.
Baker said this year’s wait for a new baby was about average, though occasionally the medical center goes a couple of days without a new life coming into the world.