‘I hope she teaches me a lot’

After giving birth to the first newborn of the year 2023 at the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine, Mickay Martin finds it a blessing to go through the adventure of motherhood for a second time round.

Despite being uncertain of the kind of journey she will experience while nurturing the growth and development of her first daughter, Martin told The Gleaner on Sunday that she was open to “going with the flow” as she learns along the way.

Baby Ariya Gordon, who was born at 12:55 a.m. weighing in at 3.4 kilograms, clutched to her mother’s finger while lying on her back next to her on the hospital bed, already getting acquainted with the world around her.

In an interview with The Gleaner, the 20-year-old mother expressed relief that she did not encounter any issues while pregnant or during childbirth. This, she said, was similar to the “smooth” and “easy” delivery she had of her now two-year-old son, Arjay.

“I hope she teaches me a lot,” said the mother, noting that she was initially surprised that she would be having a girl.

After interacting with Baby Ariya, Martin said that having her bundle of joy was nothing short of amazing.

Martin acknowledged that one of her weaknesses was not having a high level of tolerance, and that she wishes to learn more about being a patient mother and individual through parenting Ariya.

She further disclosed that she has no plans to have any more children, noting that she was satisfied with the pair she has been blessed with.

Martin said she was also happy that the children’s father remains involved in their lives, helping her to raise them and support her along the way.

The second New Year’s baby born was 29-year-old Avajoan Morris’ 3.2-kilogram baby boy, who was delivered at 2:31 a.m. He is the first boy delivered at the hospital this year.

The third baby was a girl born to 25-year-old Kayesha Jones Miller. She entered into the world at 6:11 a.m. with a low birth weight of 2.1 kilograms.

asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com