WHEN little Zane Atkinson came screaming into the world at Armadale Hospital, little did his family know that his arrival would be extra special.
Born just 23 minutes after midnight on January 1, Zane was the first baby to be born at a WA hospital in 2018.
Parents Heidi Dewar and Brendan Atkinson from Seville Grove said they had been expecting a Christmas baby rather than a New Years one, with Boxing Day circled as his due date, but Zane had other plans.
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READ NOW“As the due date got closer and he still hadn’t come we scheduled in a caesarean section for January 2, but about 7pm on New Year’s Eve I went into labour,” Ms Dewar said.
She said being the first baby born in 2018 was a special milestone that Zane would carry around with him for life.
“We think it’s very exciting that he’ll be able to bring in his birthday with a bang every year and it will be a great story to tell him when he’s older.”
A younger brother to Hayley, Dean and Emily, Zane’s birth continued a special family tradition with all of his siblings, his father and his four uncles all born at Armadale Hospital.
Armadale Hospital midwifery unit manager Robyn Rigby said having the first baby born in a new year was a rare achievement for the hospital that had made working on New Year’s Eve extra special.
“Every baby born at Armadale Hospital is special to us but for the team of midwives who are spending their New Year’s Eve working it is always an exciting countdown to see who’ll have the first baby of the New Year,” she said.
“We are committed to providing safe and high quality care to women and their babies so we’re very happy that the delivery went well and both mum and baby are doing well.”
It had been a busy holiday season for Armadale Hospital’s maternity unit, with eight babies born on Christmas Day and nine on Boxing Day.