The first two babies born in Summit County weren’t supposed to arrive until later this month.
Kaitlyn Welch was the first to arrive at 1:23 a.m. Sunday at Summa Akron City Hospital at 5 pounds, 10 ounces and 19.5 inches long.
But not far behind was Antione Harper Jr., who also was born at City Hospital at 1:26 a.m.
Antione’s mother, 21-year-old Tashawna Taylor of Akron, actually started pushing about an hour before Kaitlyn’s mother, 21-year-old El’Shaddai Salal of Akron.
But Salal only needed about four pushes to bring Kaitlyn into the world to join her big brother, 3-year-old Antonio McMullen.
Kaitlyn was due Jan. 27, but arrived at 36 weeks gestation. Salal said she wasn’t surprised because Antonio also came early at almost 37 weeks. Although she arrived early, Kaitlyn is in perfect health, her mom said. Salal declined to name the father.
Salal said her back had been hurting Friday, and looking back, she now realizes that she was in labor. But it wasn’t until about 4 p.m. Saturday — New Year’s Eve — that Salal said the pain became unbearable. Salal’s mom, Ahari Spaulding, drove her to the hospital, where staff told her that her water had broken and her blood pressure was high.
Salal said she really wanted a New Year’s Day baby, so she was hoping to hold off having the baby for the evening. Salal’s grandmother, Ahari Salal, was also hoping that Kaitlyn wouldn’t arrive until the new year so she could be at the hospital.
Ahari Salal was ringing in the new year at a church service, which began at 10 p.m. on Saturday. She had turned off her phone while at church until after the service ended after midnight.
“My daughter had texted me at 10:24 that (Salal) was 9 centimeters dilated,” said Ahari Salal.
Grandma arrived by 12:44 a.m. and Salal said about 10 to 15 minutes later, she felt the urge to push.
“I didn’t care if I had the first one, I just wanted a 2012 baby,” said the new mom.
She is on maternity leave from her job as a home health aide and will be taking online classes at Stark State College while she’s on maternity leave for her criminal justice program.
Big brother Antonio is happy about the new baby, but doesn’t really understand, said Mom.
“He’s happy and he’s jealous,” she said.
The second baby of the new year, Antione, was 6 pounds, 9 ounces and 18.9 inches long, said his mom, of her firstborn. Proud dad is Antione Harper Sr., Taylor’s boyfriend.
Antione wasn’t scheduled to arrive until Jan. 26.
But on Tuesday, Taylor, who had missed a previous doctor’s appointment, was told she had pre-eclampsia, a potentially dangerous condition in which the mother’s blood pressure is high. So Taylor was admitted to the hospital and told she’d be induced to start labor.
She was induced at midnight and was told the baby should arrive by 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
But baby Antione had other plans. Taylor was later given an epidural and more medication and began pushing right after midnight.
“I was kind of hoping” for the first baby of New Year’s, said Taylor, who knew another mother was also in labor in the same hospital. An hour and a half of pushing later, Antione arrived. Taylor and Antione are in the room next to El’Shaddai and Kaitlyn at City Hospital.
Akron General’s first baby of the new year arrived at 7:51 a.m., a premature baby boy who weighed 3 pounds and 9 ounces. A hospital spokesman said the baby’s name was not being released.
Summa Barberton Hospital had to wait much longer for its first baby, as the mom was in labor all day. Sophia Yvonne Holm arrived at 8:41 p.m., weighing in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces and 21.5 inches. The parents are Brandon and Brittany Holm of Doylestown.