Northumberland Hills Hospital has welcomed the first baby born there in the new year.
Proud parents Angela and Bruno Gelao of Port Hope are the proud parents of 6 lb. 11.2 oz. Hazel Mae (her middle name is her maternal garndmother's name). Back home, sister Neveah and brother Luca and other family members waited eagerly to meet her.
“The gratitude we have for the NHH team is nothing we can put into words,” Bruno said.
Angela – a Registered Nurse by training – agreed it had been a wonderful birth experience at a hospital she is very familiar with. Several years ago, she completed her nurse training through Trent University at NHH. Then, after graduation, she worked for a time in the NHH Medical-Surgical Unit, adjacent to the Birthing Suite where little Hazel was born.
“The preceptor who helped train me as a student, Registered Nurse Lisa Jibb, was actually the RN assigned to my care – she put me right at ease,” Angela said.
“It was just amazing to me that it worked out this way. Everyone on the team – from Dr. Erin Pepper, our General Practitioner, who followed me through the pregnancy to Obstetrician-Gynecologist Dr. Abu Awad, who delivered her – has just been amazing.
“As Bruno said, we are very grateful to everyone on the team. It has been an excellent experience delivering at NHH, and extra-special to learn that our Hazel is the first baby of the new year.”
Hazel is also the first New Year baby to go home with a gift basket prepared and donated by the staff and volunteers of the hospital. Maternal-Child Care nurses took the initiative this year to hand-pick items they felt new parents would appreciate and (with support from NHH, the NHH Foundation and the NHH Auxiliary) a personalized gift basket was assembled and presented to the newly expanded family.
“We thought the baby was the gift! This is so lovely and so very appreciated,” Angela said.
“Thank you very much to all involved. We truly appreciate the kindness and the care we've received.”
The NHH Maternal-Child Care team welcomed 587 births in the last fiscal year, thanks to a strong partnership with local obstetrician-gynecologists, family physicians, anesthesiologists and local midwifery groups.
Designed with an eye to the unique needs of newborns, their mothers and family members, the Maternal-Child Care unit is equipped with six labour and delivery beds (each in their own private suite), a Caesarean-section operating room, advanced fetal and patient monitoring, and a comfortable family lounge.
