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Riamaya Nollina is 2021 New Year baby
Richelle Semens, 22, and Narphin Nartin, 25, pose with the newest member of their family, Riamaya Nollina Semens Nartin, who was born at 2:30pm last Jan 1. (JUSTINE NAUTA)
Richelle Semens, 22, and Narphin Nartin, 25, rang in the New Year with their second child, Riamaya Nollina Semens Nartin, who is the Commonwealth’s first baby of the year.
According to the Commonwealth Health Center midwife Sherry DeVries, the Semens-Nartin couple was the only couple that was admitted last Jan. 1.
Riamaya Nollina, the second child of Semens and Nartin, was born at 10:42am on Jan. 1 and weighed in at 6 lbs and 75 ounces. She was the only one born last Jan. 1.
“We were thinking there wasn’t going to be a New Year’s baby, so we didn’t have any patients yesterday (Dec. 31), and she is our only patient so far today (Jan. 1),” said DeVries. Semens was admitted to the hospital at 7am and gave birth nearly four hours later.
Nartin is very proud to be the father of a New Year baby. In fact, he had predicted and was very confident that Semens would give birth on New Year’s Day, which is a day earlier than her expected delivery date of Jan. 2. Semens stated that she feels very blessed to have Riamaya on New Year’s.
Fortunately, even with COVID-19 protocols, Nartin was able to be in the room with Semens as she was giving birth. Semens stated that the difference between her first and second child is that the contractions were worse this time.
Mothers giving birth on New Year’s Day have a choice whether they want the media to reveal the baby or not. According to Nartin, this was the only time they had to sign consent forms after Semems gave birth.
DeVries stated that there were no complications during the delivery, and that baby Riamaya came out crying right away. “The baby was born in the water bag, which is doesn’t happen very often. It’s a little girl, so it’s good luck for her life, so it’s very special,” she said.
According to various articles, a woman can give birth to a baby without the water breaking first, which is extremely rare—about 1 in 80,000 births.
