It’s a girl! Born on New Year’s Day, she is a ‘rainbow baby’
Alessandra Odette Mohlis entered the world on Jan. 1 at 12:03 a.m. at the Boone County Hospital, weighing 7 pounds and 0.3 ounces, with a length of 19¾ inches.
Parents Auston and Megan Mohlis of Jewell are also parents to Kyleena, 8, Nadia 6, and Vivienna, 3. Alessandra is a rainbow baby, following the loss of her brother Kallum due to stillbirth in 2020.
Megan said her latest pregnancy was especially anxiety-filled due to the previous stillbirth.
“We’d been monitoring her really closely. We were nervous about going into this,” she said. “We wanted a more personal feel to the hospital — that’s why we chose the Boone hospital. It’s smaller and feels a lot more like being taken care of by family.”
With a due date of Jan. 7, the family thought they just might have the first baby born in 2022 at the hospital. Megan’s water broke on the morning of Dec. 31. At 10 minutes to midnight, people in the delivery room were joking about which year Alessandra would be born.
“As midnight hit, it switched from joking around to an emergency situation,” Megan explained.
The baby’s shoulders got stuck in what is known as shoulder dystocia (when one of the baby’s shoulders is lodged behind the mother’s pubic bone or sacrum). The newborn required resuscitation.
“We’re just so thankful that we picked a good hospital where people were so on the ball. It’s been extremely emotional, because we know the risks that come with birth and seen it a few times. She’s doing perfectly. No concerns at all,” Megan said. “To have a birth after a loss, and then to have it be kind of a traumatic birth on top of that — it’s been really overwhelming — but really good.”
As is tradition, the first baby born in the new year receives a gift basket filled with goodies.
Lisa Schmidt, public relations and marketing director at the hospital, said the gift basket was provided by the staff of the Family Birth Center and its delivering providers: Dr. Sivesind, Dr. Hay and Dr. Linkenmeyer. It was filled with diapers, wipes, baby blankets, bibs, snacks, baby tub, lotions, facial masks, brush for mom, baby brush, toy/teether, children’s books, teddy bear, diaper cream and other miscellaneous items.
Mindy Green, RN at Family Birth Center, helped with the delivery. She even made the baby a “Little Miss New Year” onesie.
“I don’t know what was more nerve wracking: waiting to see if it was going to be a New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day baby or if it was a ‘Little Miss’ or ‘Little Mister’ New Year’s baby,” Green said.
Dena Sytsma, director of the Family Birth Center, said the staff is always excited to organize and present the New Year’s baby with gifts.
“It is a fun tradition we have been doing for our patients for the last several years,” she said.
Alessandra’s three older sisters are thrilled at her arrival.
“They absolutely love it. Two of them really wanted a little sister, so we’re not sad to have another girl at the house,” Megan said.
A stay-at-home mom, Megan said being with her kids each day is living a dream come true.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Iowa parents welcome ‘rainbow baby’ on New Year's Day in Boone County
