'brilliant' First Birth Marks A Royal Last Hurrah
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday June 23, 1997
It's all over for Paddo. And it's all over for Karen Walsh. The first-time mother was also the last-time mother at Paddington's Royal Hospital for Women yesterday.
Nearly a quarter of a million babies have been born at the Paddington hospital since 1905, but yesterday it saw the birth of its very last baby - Laura De Franchi, who was born at 4.49 pm after a labour her mother described as "brilliant".
"It's a big relief," said Ms Walsh. "I'm elated, absolutely elated. I was really nervous about going into Paddington on Sunday night. I thought there would be no facilities for me. But everything was there and I must have had at least six midwives."
Tomorrow she moves to the Randwick site, which officially opened its doors yesterday.
Over at Randwick, first-time mum Kirsten Mulhearn also made history when she gave birth at 6.34 pm to her son, Thomas St Clair Mulhearn.
"It's unbelievable," said Mrs Mulhearn. "It's an honour to be the first at Randwick."
The facilities were fabulous, she said. "The colours are really inspiring. It almost makes you want to come in and have a baby."
Earlier in the day Little Tagan Smith was very nearly the first birth at the new hospital. His mother, Carissa Smith, 17, arrived at the new site at 4.10 on Sunday morning and 50 minutes later Tagan came into the world - just next door at the emergency department of the Sydney Children's Hospital.
A few hours later mother and baby Tagan were whisked off to the Paddington site to recover in the postnatal wards, then midday yesterday they returned to Randwick to spend a few days in the new hospital.
The hospital's executive director, Mrs Debra Thoms, was relieved the move went smoothly.
After a busy time last week with as many as 14 babies a day in the delivery suites, by midday yesterday only two women were in labour - one at each hospital - and by early evening there were still only four.
"The babies have made it a little easier for us by holding off," Mrs Thoms said, just as elated and relieved as the mothers who had just given birth.
"It's gone quite smoothly," she said. "The sun has been shining - it's been wonderful."
NEW HOSPITAL STATISTICS
Cost: $42 million
Building area: 16,000 sq metres
Scales: 14
Soap dispensers: 443
Glove holders: 996
Baby change tables: 6
Exercise mats: 36
Bed screens: 1.1 kilometres
Examination couches: 35
Beds: 133
Delivery beds: 10
© 1997 Sydney Morning Herald
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