TWENTY-FIVE births were recorded at the various public hospitals on New Year’s Day and, as is customary, First Lady Arya Ali, visited the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) maternity ward and distributed hampers to mothers.

In a message published on her official Facebook page on Saturday, the First Lady, who is a mother herself, expressed how much her visits to the mothers mean to her. She described the babies as bringing renewed hope and promise of a brighter tomorrow.

“Though I have a very busy schedule today, nothing could have prevented me from celebrating the miracle of motherhood with these amazing women as we usher in the new year. I was also pleased to present the mothers with hampers and care packages for their bundles of joy,” she said.

She extended her gratitude to Predo, Twins Manufacturing and DeSinco, for donating items for the hampers that were distributed to the mothers.

Six boys and six girls were born at the GPHC, while six babies were born in Berbice between the New Amsterdam and Port Mourant Hospitals. Three babies were born at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, two babies were born at the Linden Hospital Complex and another two were born at the Suddie Hospital in Region Two.

At GPHC, the first delivery came less than an hour into the new year. Shanaz Hamid, 25, delivered a baby girl weighing over 3.49kg at 00:47hrs. A few minutes later at 01:10hrs, 18-year-old Aneera Bess gave birth to a girl weighing 3.06kg.

The maternity ward was kept busy for the rest of the morning as the next six babies were delivered before midday. Still in the wee hours of the morning, 27-year-old Tricia DeLacruz had a boy weighing 2.81kg at 02:25hrs.

Twenty-year-old Brittney Barker delivered the second baby girl of the day at 03:54hrs, while 19-year-old Maria Martins delivered a girl at 07:50hrs, and 20-year-old Madivi Tarochand had a boy at 08:30hrs. At 09:59hrs, 20-year-old Shellon Britton gave birth to her bouncing baby boy weighing 4.57kg, while 22-year-old Teanisha Henry had a baby girl weighing 3.52kg at 11:25hrs.

In Berbice, Regional Health Services distributed hampers and care packages to the mothers.

The first of the five babies born at the New Amsterdam Hospital was delivered at 00:30hrs to first-time mother, 17-year-old Heerawattie Seepersaud, who gave birth to a bouncing baby boy.

Expressing her joy at her safe delivery, she said that giving birth on the first day of the year to her first child was a great start for her. She said that her family was delighted.

It was after she began experiencing labour pains on Friday evening that Seepersaud made no hesitation to get to the hospital. Her baby was delivered shortly after her arrival. As she held her firstborn, she became overwhelmed with emotions.

At 07:19hrs, a baby girl, weighing 3.4kg, was born to 31-year-old Hemwattie Lalbeharri, of Betsy Ground, East Canje. Just over an hour and a half later at 08:53 hrs, 26-year-old Iyelia Mendonca, of Lot 8 Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, delivered her baby.

Another first-time mother, 20-year-old Katice Fordyce of Number 30 Village, West Coast Berbice, was not expecting a New Year’s Day baby. While she was initially told her labour might be challenging, thanks to the work of her doctors, she managed to deliver her baby without any hiccups. She gave birth to a 3kg baby girl at 09:32hrs and said the experience was simple and exciting.

Priya Ramnarine, a 27-year-old of Enmore, East Coast Demerara also gave birth to a baby girl, who weighed 3.4kg and was delivered at 12:31 hrs.

Meanwhile, at 03:25hrs, 29-year-old Amanda Sukhwa, of Lot 22 Whim, gave birth to the only New Year’s Day baby at the Port Mourant Hospital. The baby boy weighed 2.95kg.

Sukhwa, already a mother of three, expressed how grateful she was to have been able to deliver at the Port Mourant Hospital, which is only a few villages away from her home.

“Everything went well, the baby is healthy and strong, and so I was able to come home and be with my family,” she said.

At the West Demerara Regional Hospital, all three of the babies were born in the late afternoon, beginning with 22-year-old Tricia Cummings, who gave birth to a 1.58kg premature baby girl. She was followed by 18-year-old Ariana Daniels, who delivered a 3.4kg baby girl, and 22-year-old Darshanie Kunic who gave birth to a baby boy weighing 3.7kg.

At the Linden Hospital complex the first baby, a boy weighing 3.06kg, was born to 23-year-old Delicia Rodrigues at 06:31hrs. The next baby came at 19:43hrs to 24-year-old first time mother, Roylyn Rawlins.

At the Suddie Hospital, Christina Joseph and Serita Ghanie, shared their joy of delivering naturally on New Year’s Day.

For Joseph, a resident of Karawab, an Amerindian community, she delivered her eighth child, a baby girl, weighing 2.8kg. She shared the joy of the moment with her husband Maxim Joseph, and named her daughter Shameena.

Ghanie, of Lot 137 Pomona Housing Scheme delivered her baby girl at 10:52hrs. Ghanie was excited to welcome her newborn and to start a new year with her baby.

Both mothers showered praises on the staff of the maternity ward for their patience and guidance during the birthing process.