Dec. 12 was an extraordinary day for four Puyallup families.
Four newborns — one boy and three girls — were born on the calendar oddity at the Family Birth Center at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital. Two arrived at 12:50 p.m. and 12:57 p.m., respectively. The other two were born at 6:27 p.m. and 8:43 p.m.
“We have happy, healthy babies,” said Stacey DeMaranville, manager of the labor and delivery unit at Good Samaritan. “Everything went wonderful.”
DeMaranville said the families were excited about the delivery date. One father, whose baby was born during the 12 o’clock hour, joked that a local news broadcast agency should come to their birthing room and do a special report.
DeMaranville said she could understand the excitement for 12-12-12. She was born on Sept. 9, 1979, and it was a big deal with she celebrated her 30th birthday on 9-9-09.
Yet it was business as usual for staff members at the Family Birth Center, DeMaranville said. About seven babies have been born per day in 2012, an average of 193 a month. DeMaranville said Dec. 12 was actually a below-average day.
“Total babies so far in 2012 through November is 2,123,” DeMaranville said. “In 2011, there were 2,107 babies born.”
The Family Birth Center had its highest month on record in October with 221 babies delivered.
“The ice storm last February probably contributed to that,” DeMaranville joked.
She added there isn’t a magic wand to determine how many babies will be born on any given day.
“There are days we do 12 to 14 babies, and then there are days we do four,” DeMaranville said. “There is never any science to what we do.”
Reporter Andrew Fickes can be reached at 253-552-7001.
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