KUCHING: The storks were kept busy on New Year’s Day. Two babies, one of them a girl, were among the first to arrive in 2019. They were born after midnight at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) here.
The healthy Bidayuh baby girl was born at 12.13am, weighing 2.79kg.
A Dusun baby boy, weighing 2.45kg was born at 12.16am.
As at 7pm, 20 New Year babies were recorded at SGH.
The last baby girl, born to a Malay couple, was born at 4.63pm. She weighted 2.79kg.
Out of the 20 babies, eight were girls.
Four of the babies are Bidayuh, Iban (two), Chinese (one), Dusun (one), and Malay (12).
New Sarawak Tribune spoke to a couple and a mother about their newborn.
Nur Hafizah Mohd Hafiz, 25, a housewife, and Syaful Amin, 31, a police officer, were overjoyed at the arrival of the firstborn.
Hafizah delivered her 3.12 kg son through normal birth at noon after nine hours of contraction pain since 3am.
“I was supposed to deliver the baby on Jan 5, but this little boy of ours wanted to see the world earlier I guess and decided to enter the world on New Year’s Day,” she said.
It was double happiness for her, celebrating the New Year and the arrival of her firstborn.
As for hubby Syaful, he shed tears of joy upon the arrival of their baby.
“I was so nervous because it is our first child, and I felt a bit scared seeing my wife in great pain, but she was very strong all the way,” said the relieved first-time dad.
Syaful, who has been working in Kuching for 10 years, said he felt touched seeing his wife giving birth.
Hafizah is from Tabuan Laru, while Syaful is from Kuantan. Both of them knew each through social media for four years before finally deciding to tie the knot in 2016.
For 34-year-old Pauline Didi Anyip from Kampung Serikin, her bundle of joy arrived at 7.51am.
The Bidayuh baby girl weighing 2.8kg is her third child.
“I have three children, the first child was through normal birth, while the second and this baby were through caesarean delivery,” she said.
The housewife said she did not expect to have her baby on New Year’s Day. She was supposed to have been delivered a few days later.
“I am currently on fluid drip, and can only be discharged tomorrow (Thursday). I can’t wait to go home and take care of my baby girl,” she said.
Meanwhile, KPJ Medical Centre recorded four New Year babies, two of them girls.
The first baby boy was of Jordanian parentage. He was born at 4.14am and weighed 2.64kg.
The other baby boy was a Chinese.
One of the girls was a Eurasian and the other, a Chinese.
The last baby girl was born at 2.30pm and weighed 3.4kg.
The Serian Hospital, meanwhile, delivered two Bidayuh baby boys. The first was born at 6.57am, weighing 3.2kg, and the second, weighing 3.4kg was born at 12.17pm.
The Bau Hospital recorded the birth of a Malay baby boy at 10.26am. He weighed 2.84kg.
