EASTHAMPTON — Jennifer Dann, 30, and her wife Chelsea Dann, 33, were expecting a Christmas baby. But their newborn daughter arrived on another holiday — New Year’s Day.
Jennifer delivered newborn Cecily Dann in their Easthampton home at 1:43 p.m. on New Years Day. Cecily was born with dark hair, weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 23 inches long.
Jennifer and the midwives who assisted her said they believe Cecily was the first New Year’s baby among those born outside of hospitals in the area, and possibly the first in Hampshire County.
“She was due before Christmas; we thought she was going to be a Christmas baby,” Jennifer said. “Even on New Year’s Eve, we wouldn’t have thought we would have her on New Year’s Day. I’m really honored to have a New Year’s baby.”
Jennifer opted for a home birth with the aid of a team of three midwives from Sacred Birth Midwifery in Northampton. Jennifer also delivered her son O’Keefe, 2, at home. The experiences were like “night and day,” she said.
“It was a quick and powerful labor,” Jennifer said. “With him … it was overnight. But this time I started laboring at breakfast and she was here by lunch. It was a whirlwind.”
Jennifer said that she chose home birth to have “all the time in the world to honor all the ways birth can happen.”
She said she appreciated the flexibility to be wherever she needed to be in her home during labor, as well as the freedom to choose who was present when Cecily was born. For example, O’Keefe was present for Cecily’s birth.
“My son was able to witness his sister being born. He was so excited,” Jennifer said. “He sat patiently and watched … and these are not quiet and low intensity moments.”
O’Keefe, like his parents, is overjoyed to have a baby sister.
“He calls her his friend,” Jennifer said.
The family has spent the first week of the new year taking time to get to know Cecily. Jennifer said it has been nice to spend time “hunkered down” with her immediate family.
“A lot of women aren’t given the opportunity to honor and get to know their new baby … before they zip along to the next thing,” Jennifer said.
Jennifer said Cecily has brought a sense of hope and healing to the year ahead.
“There’s been a pretty general sense of apprehension about this year in the larger community. To have a baby girl on New Year’s Day in the presence of such a strong feminine power, it feels really healing and really hopeful,” Jennifer said. “I think it’s very powerful that she came on New Year’s Day.”
And it appears Cecily already has strong feminine power of her own. Jennifer said the infant already makes her voice heard at home.
“She’s very happy,” Jennifer said. “She’s got a good voice and she’s not afraid to use it.”
Stephanie Murray can be reached at stephaniemur@umass.edu.