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Westchester’s First Baby of 2011 Born at Phelps

(January 3, 2011) Westchester County’s first baby of 2011 was born one minute after midnight on New Year’s Day at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center. Waverly Ross Beckwith was greeted by her proud parents Linnea and David Beckwith of Irvington.

Delivered by Dr. Sarina DiStefano of the Sleepy Hollow Medical Group at Phelps, Waverly weighed in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces at 12:01 a.m., giving the new arrival an easy claim to the title of Westchester’s first baby of the New Year. Pictured below is Waverly with her mom and dad.

Dr. DiStefano had an unusually busy New Year’s Day. She delivered a second baby at 6 a.m. and twins later that morning, with the help of midwives who practice regularly at Phelps. One of the twins was in a breech position but was delivered without a Cesarean section. Pictured below is Dr. DiStefano with the four babies she delivered on New Year’s Day.

“Obstetricians and midwives at Phelps try to let women have what they want in labor and we strive to avoid interventions such as C-sections, unless they are necessary,” said Dr. DiStefano. Phelps Hospital, which has a very active midwife program, has among the lowest rates for Cesarean section deliveries in Westchester County.

Waverly Beckwith’s mother, Linnea, said she started having mild contractions Thursday night (December 30) and came to the hospital around 2 p.m. on Friday, December 31. She spent about two hours in the labor tub which she said felt great. “Everything went really smoothly,” said the new mother. “It was a very pleasant experience all the way around. Everyone at Phelps was very friendly and very accommodating.”

The Beckwith’s had chosen not to know the sex of the baby in advance, but they had wondered if she might be the first baby of the year because her due date was January 1. “She was certainly prompt,” said her mother, noting that her daughter arrived the very first minute on the date she was expected.
As Waverly was coming into the world, the nurses in the delivery room raised glasses of sparking cider and had the television broadcasting the countdown to 2011 from New York’s Time Square. This was the second New Year’s baby for Phelps recently, as Dr. DiStefano delivered the 2006 first baby there as well. “It really is a thrilling moment,” she said, “for the parents, for me and for all the delivery room staff.”

Phelps offers a family-centered approach to childbirth, both during pregnancy and after birth. The Birthing Center features state-of-the-art birthing rooms, some with tubs, and an array of options for relaxation and labor pain management, including acupuncture. The hospital also offers lactation support services and a wide selection of educational programs for the childbirth years.

In addition to Dr. DiStefano, Sleepy Hollow Medical Group’s physicians include Lawrence Mendelowitz, MD; Vanessa Dinnall, MD, and Zarina Zhuravleva, MD. All of the physicians subscribe to the same philosophy as Dr. DiStefano – offering parents the birth experience they want and using interventions only when necessary. Sleepy Hollow Medical Group is located at 755 North Broadway on the Phelps campus..