Nanaimo's New Year's baby entered the world the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 1, to loving parents Sabre Lupton and husband Morgan Oud. (Submitted)

By Ian Holmes

new years baby

Mother of Nanaimo new years baby praises NRGH staff

Jan 4, 2024 | 3:15 PM

NANAIMO — With family and friends convinced her baby would be born last year, Sabre Lupton couldn’t be happier with how her New Year’s Day went.

Lupton and her husband Morgan Oud, both born and raised in Nanaimo, welcomed their son into the world at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) on Monday, Jan 1 at 3:44 p.m.

Ryett Spencer Oud, weighing in at nearly 11 pounds, was evidently eager to enter the world, born following only 36 minutes of labour, according to Lupton.

She expanded on the exemplary care she and her family received at NRGH, stating the nurses in particular were extremely attentive and welcoming.

“They were all phenomenal, they gave us little trinkets and made sure he (Ryett) was really welcomed. We had the best nurses, they were absolutely amazing, I can’t say enough about that,” Lupton told NanaimoNewsNOW.

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She said the atmosphere created by care professionals at the hospital eased the experience for their family, which also included their five-year-old daughter, Oaklyn.

Lupton said her nurses were keeping her updated throughout the day that they were on track to be the hospital’s first baby of the year to be born at NRGH.

“He may not have been the first in B.C., but he was probably the biggest,” she said with a chuckle.

Given Ryett’s size, family and friends were convinced he’d be born well before his Dec. 31 due date.

“I had a lot of bets placed on me that I wouldn’t make it because he’s such a big boy, but my preference was the new year just because it’s a little bit better for school and you get to be the oldest person of the year for his year, haha,” Lupton said, who noted they returned home to sleep in their own beds the following day.

While it wasn’t a typical winter holiday period for the family, she said they were able to enjoy a quiet Christmas at home.

“This year we kept it nice and quiet, we focused on our other kiddo and kept to ourselves as much as we could just because we weren’t sure what was going to happen and you don’t want to be travelling around too much just in case you get too far away from the hospital.”

The first baby born in the province occurred at midnight on Jan. 1 at New Westminster’s Royal Columbian Hospital.

Typically in the range of 1,100 babies are born annually at NRGH, according to Island Health.

Five-year-old Oaklyn holding her baby brother Ryett, the first baby born at NRGH in 2024. (Submitted)

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ian.holmes@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes