Maya Prasad is Squamish’s first baby of the year. Like many Squamish babies, Maya was born at home with the help of midwives. Maya came into the world Jan. 1 at 8:37 p.m., weighing in at 5 lb. 14 oz.
“She’s doing really good,” said Maya’s mother, Shannon Prasad, a first-time parent. “It is a learning experience for both of us.”
Maya could have easily been the last baby of 2015 rather than the first of the new year, as Prasad went into labour on Dec. 29.
“The contractions went on for awhile,” Prasad said with a chuckle.
She said she discovered Maya was the first baby of the year when her midwife called to Squamish General Hospital to report the birth, as required.
“She’s going to be the oldest in her class,” said Prasad.
The Squamish Quilters’ Guild presented Maya with a beautiful quilt in honour of being the first baby of 2016 – “which was so sweet,” Prasad said.
It has been a whirlwind few months for Prasad and her husband, Laurence.
The couple moved to Brackendale from Vancouver in October.
“It has been a good whirlwind. Everything has worked out perfectly,” she said.
Prasad said Squamish seems to be a very supportive community with plenty of options for new parents. For example, she said, “I am going to go to mom-and-baby yoga.”
In 2015, 211 babies were born at Squamish General Hospital, according to Vancouver Coastal Health.
It isn’t known how many babies were born in homes over the year. The Squamish midwifery clinic Roots Community Midwives does not release to media the number of homebirths their midwives have facilitated, a spokesperson said.
