First 2012 birth in Odessa happened at midnight

Luck, it seems, had everything to do with the timing of Davian Suerte Saiz’s birth.

The 19-inch, 5 pound 11 ounce Davian (whose middle name means “luck” in Spanish) was born exactly at midnight at Odessa Regional Medical Center Sunday to Amanda and Leroy Saiz.

His birth hadn’t been on schedule for him to be the first baby of 2012.

Coming in from Big Spring, Amanda Saiz said she and her husband drove to the hospital Saturday to induce labor at 37 weeks. She said the procedure was recommended by physicians because of her high blood pressure.

Dr. Norman Harris, the physician who delivered Davian, said because of Amanda Saiz’s condition, her pregnancy was labeled as “high-risk” and she met with prenatal consultants who decided having the baby early was the best course of action. Births usually happen between 38 weeks and 42 weeks, Harris said.

There were no serious complications in Davian’s birth, however, Harris said the baby’s heart rate dropped a couple of times. Nurses in the delivery room were able to execute maneuvers that allowed Amanda Saiz to continue her labor naturally and without having to get a Caesarean section.

“What’s most important is that there were adequate services that got the best outcome for mother and the baby,” Harris said.

As of Sunday, Harris said Davian was doing fine and Harris had not heard of any complications.

Sitting next to each other in the hospital bed, both parents were exhausted and said they were up all night after Davian finally arrived. The timing of his arrival though, was not the most important thing to them.

“As long as (Davian) is happy and healthy,” Amanda Saiz said.

The new addition to the Saiz family is not the couple’s only child. With an 8-year-old daughter back at home, Amanda Saiz said her daughter did not have any problems with a younger sibling coming into the picture. In fact, she said, her daughter was excited.

“She’s been wanting a sibling for a long time,” Amanda Saiz said.

Harris, saying he’s been a doctor for about 34 years, said he can remember only one other time in his career when he’s delivered the first baby of the New Year. He said all pregnancies were special, regardless of their timing, and again gave credit to the nursing staff in the Labor and Delivery wing of the hospital.

“In a service area of 250,000 … I would rate our nurses as excellent,” Harris said.

@OAgovernment