Mothers unwrap bundles of joy

Patrina Pink, Gleaner Writer

TIGHTLY swaddled in pink, baby Maya was the perfect Christmas gift to her 32-year-old mother, Marjorie Weir, and the people of Poor Man's corner in Yallas, St Thomas.

Delivered at 12:08 a.m., 3.22- kilogram Maya was the first baby born on Christmas Day at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital in downtown Kingston. She is the second child for Marjorie, who welcomed her first 15 years ago when she was a tender 17.

Interestingly, the second and third births were both delivered by 17-year-olds, one through normal labour or 'spontaneous vaginal labour', the other delivery 'failed to progress' and the mother had an unscheduled Caesarean section. The top three births were all girls.

Alecia Scott underwent a Caesarean section and delivered a 3.14-kilogram bundle of joy who she named Kimoy. Scott thanked the hospital staff and other family and friends who have been helping her prepare for motherhood. She said they provided useful tips and advice.

Scott visited Jubilee throughout her pregnancy and benefited from their family planning and child- care classes. Nurses described the former Parkington High student as a "brave girl" and she seemed cheerful despite being strung up by a number of intravenous cords. Scott delivered at 1:08, "beaten" by Weir by only an hour.

Hopeful hairdresser

"I wish her (the baby) luck," said Scott, who said she hoped 2011 would see her living her dream of becoming a hairdresser.

Vanna Kay Daley was the third to deliver. She gave birth to a 3.1- kilogram child at 1:27 a.m. The shy Arnett Gardens resident held her baby close to her bosom.

"At first, I wasn't excited but now I am," she said. Daley was optimistic she would come up with an excellent first name for her newborn.

All three young women received gifts from the Latin American Women's Club, an organisation composed of Spanish-speaking women of various nationalities living in Jamaica. The group has been presenting gifts to women at Victoria Jubilee since the 1960s. Several gifts were also given to other women who delivered on Christmas Day but were not among the first three.

Mothers

unwrap

bundles

of joy