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City’s first baby of 2017 born in Flushing

City’s first baby of 2017 born in Flushing
Photo by Ellis Kaplan
By Gina Martinez

The city’s first baby of 2017 was born in Flushing Hospital.

Nathan Peralta entered the world Jan. 1 at 12:08 a.m. weighing 7 pounds, 11.5 ounces and clocking in at 19.5 inches long, according to Flushing Hospital. Both Nathan and his mother Carmen are doing well.

Nathan was not due for another two weeks, but when Carmen went to the hospital Dec. 30 for a checkup, she was induced due to high blood pressure. According to NY1, Carmen and the nursing staff were all excited about the possibility of Nathan being the city’s first baby of the new year. Peralta began pushing at 11:45 p.m.

“Everybody was excited. Everyone was in the room — we had five nurses, two doctors,” Dr. Ingy Khattaby told NY1 “And I was like, ‘Push, push, push!’ And the TV was on with the countdown and everything was so, so much fun. And then when we did it at 12:08, we didn’t think we had made it, but after they told us we were so happy.”

This was the first child for Carmen. Nathan’s parents were happy and in high spirits following the birth.

“It was a blessing, and I feel happy because everybody here is nice and I feel special,” Carmen said. “He’s an angel for me.”

“We didn’t know how it was going to be — the New Year’s Eve, or our baby,” Nathan’s father, Luis said. “But the two together, it’s just beautiful. We are blessed with our child.”

It was a tight race for the title of first baby. A few miles away at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, a baby girl named Melanie Londono was born one minute later at 12:09 a.m. weighing in at 6 pounds, 9 ounces.

Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmartinez@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.