First-time parents welcome baby girl one second after midnight on New Year’s Day
Just one second after the clock struck 12, first-time parents Lin Renzhen and Lai Jingyi welcomed their precious daughter at Mount Alvernia Hospital in Thomson Road.
Nicknamed by her parents as “kai xin” in Mandarin, which means happy, the baby girl arrived almost two weeks ahead of her estimated delivery date on Jan 10, much to their surprise.
Weighing 2.83kg and measuring 49cm long, the baby, whose name has not yet been decided, also came as a surprise to her parents when she was conceived, as they had given up trying for a child after their initial attempts were unsuccessful.
Madam Lai, 26, said she felt her water bag leaking at 2am on New Year’s Eve, so the couple went to the hospital.
Checks by hospital staff found that she was only 2cm dilated. By 9pm, she was still not fully dilated and her gynaecologist was prepared to do a caesarean section delivery.
The situation then quickly moved along and by close to midnight, Madam Lai was fully dilated and the baby arrived one second after midnight.
“This is our first child – we are both excited about being first-time parents and hope that she will be able to live the life that she wants,” said Mr Lin, 27.
Ms Han May Ching, director of corporate development, community outreach and human resources at Mount Alvernia Hospital, congratulated the couple on their first child.
“We are happy to share their joy and all other parents who welcome their 2023 babies at our hospital. We wish all babies good health and many happy and healthy years ahead,” she added.
Ms Han also presented the couple with a gift of $188 in cash from the hospital and hampers from sponsors.
All other New Year babies that were born in Mount Alvernia Hospital also received a gift pack from the hospital’s sponsors.
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