Unlike years past where multiple laboring mothers and their nurses have playfully raced to see who would be the first to deliver after midnight on New Year’s Eve, the inaugural baby of 2016 at Williamson Medical Center didn’t arrive until 3:48 p.m. on New Year’s Day to proud parents Teina and Tanner Babb. It would seem the baby took his time getting here, but was actually nearly a month early.
Little Brooks Eugene Babb arrived weighing in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces and was 18 inches long. Although he was premature and did begin to show signs of distress during labor, the delivery was smooth.
A patient of Heather Rupe, D.O., Teina said at a weekly appointment last Thursday, she was beginning to dilate and that Dr. Rupe said to prepare to maybe deliver a week or so early. Late that night, around 1 a.m. Teina’s water broke.
“We immediately called Tanner’s mom, who is a nurse and described what was going on and she advised us to go on to the hospital,” Teina said.
Ironically, Tanner, who is a police officer with the Columbia Police Department, sped up I-65 to get his laboring wife to the ER in time.
“I sped like crazy to get here,” he admitted with a smile. “If a police officer had gotten behind me, I would have just put my emergency signals on and kept going. I think deep down, I thought it was going to be a false alarm. People get sent home from the hospital all the time. I had only packed my toothbrush, so I had to call friends to take care of some things for us.”
Teina said they arrived safely at the ER around 7 a.m. on New Year’s Day and Brooks was born at 3:48 p.m. after a fairly short labor.
Michelle Montville, M.D., with Women’s Group of Franklin, was on call on New Year’s Day and delivered little baby Brooks.
With a due date of January 29 for their first baby, Tanner and Teina Babb never entertained the thought of having the first baby of 2016 at Williamson Medical Center.
“When we got to the ER, someone said to us they hoped we were going to win the ‘big red wagon’ and I didn’t even know what they were talking about,” Tanner Babb said. “It never even crossed our minds.”
But the Babbs were presented Williamson Medical Center’s annual wagon full of baby goodies assembled to officially welcome the first baby of the year, just like the ER nurses had hoped.
“Our experience here has been wonderful,” Teina said. “Everyone has attended to us with such enthusiasm. We were a little unprepared because we hadn’t had time to take any classes because we work different schedules. We thought we had four more weeks to get ready! So we had to quickly learn about lactation, pediatricians and everything. But everyone here has been so helpful.”
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