OTTAWA -- Brandy McCann and Bruce Bianco of Ottawa were originally expecting a new baby in time for Christmas morning.
Instead, McCann gave birth to Ottawa's first baby of 2021 nine minutes into the New Year at the Montfort Hospital.
In a media release, the Montfort Hospital announced McCann gave birth to Harlow Winter Margaret Bianco at 12:09 a.m. at the Family Birthing Centre. McCann gave birth with the help of her midwife Celine Goodrich.
"The hospital was amazing. It was my first birth in a hospital and my midwife was fantastic," said McCann during an interview Friday afternoon with CTV News Ottawa. McCann said she had previously done home births.
The Montfort Hospital says as is usually the case following a delivery with a midwife, the family left the hospital a few hours later.
After arriving at home, Harlow met siblings Payton, Marcus, Mason and Cormac.
"She was actually due on the 24th of December and then there were a few complications, minor complications that Brandy had," said Bianco.
McCann was admitted to hospital Thursday morning before giving birth early Friday morning.
CTV News Ottawa asked McCann if she was hoping for a 2020 baby for the memory or a 2021 birth to celebrate a fresh start to the New Year.
"I think it didn’t matter at all. I just wanted her to come out and be healthy and then when it got close, and then when she was here I‘m like - Oh it is really nice that she’s born in the new year and it’s like a new year for all of us and a fresh start."
Bianco said Harlow is doing well after her arrival to start 2021.
"She's easy, just kind of going with the flow."
McCann and Bianco received a gift basket on behalf of the staff of Montfort Hospital for delivering the first baby of 2021 in Ottawa.
Ottawa's first baby of 2020 was born at the Ottawa Hospital General Campus, while the first baby of 2019 was born at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital.
