New Year, New Life: Nurses Across the U.S. Welcome the First Babies of 2026
- Hospitals across the United States welcomed the first babies of 2026 within minutes of midnight, highlighting the nonstop work of labor and delivery and newborn nurses on New Year’s Day.
- From New York and Ohio to Texas, Florida, Colorado, and Utah, nurses were at the bedside through midnight, holidays, and overnight shifts to support safe births.
- The first babies of the year reflect the teamwork of maternal and neonatal nurses who provide continuous, family-centered care regardless of the calendar.
- Many hospitals celebrated these births with community announcements and small gifts, recognizing both families and the nurses who made these moments possible.
As the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2026, labor and delivery nurses across the country were already at the bedside, welcoming the first babies of the new year. While many families were celebrating with countdowns and fireworks, labor and delivery units were doing what they do every day by providing safe, continuous care to mothers and newborns.
The first babies born each year often make local headlines as ‘New Year’s babies,’ but for nurses, these moments represent something deeper. They reflect the constant presence of maternal and newborn nurses who work nights, weekends, and holidays to support families through one of the most important moments of their lives. Hospitals across the country reported their first newborns of 2026 within minutes and hours of the new year.
Midwest and Northeast Hospitals Ring in 2026 With Newborns
In New York City, NYC Health + Hospitals Harlem welcomed a baby girl at exactly midnight on January 1, marking the first birth of 2026 within New York City’s public hospital system. The newborn weighed 7 pounds 2.8 ounces and measured 21.26 inches. She was born to parents Oumy Niang and Amadou Niang and is the Harlem couple’s fifth child. Three of their previous children were also delivered at Harlem Hospital.
In Ohio, The Christ Hospital Health Network reported that its first baby of 2026 was a boy named Balance, born at 12:01 a.m. at the Mount Auburn Birthing Center. Balance was delivered to a first-time mother, Ari, and local television stations and hospital social media posts described him as one of the Cincinnati area’s first newborns of the year.
In the Chicago area, several hospitals welcomed babies within the first hour of the new year. At Ascension Saint Alexius Women and Children’s Hospital in Hoffman Estates, Kendall Quinn Buckley was born at 12:02 a.m., weighing 5 pounds 5 ounces and measuring about 20 inches. At Mount Sinai Hospital, Brandon Alexander Whittington arrived at 12:06 a.m., weighing 7 pounds 13 ounces. At Northwestern Medicine Prentice Women’s Hospital, Juliana Marie Poore was born at 12:20 a.m., weighing 8 pounds 8 ounces and measuring 21.5 inches. Other early arrivals included Winona LaCount (12:50 a.m., Advocate Christ Medical Center, 10 pounds 6 ounces), and Matthew Mindru (1:46 a.m., UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook, 6 pounds 13 ounces).
Image Source: ABC7 Chicago Kendall Quinn
Texas Hospitals Welcome Early Arrivals
Texas hospitals also saw a surge of early deliveries as 2026 began. At Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, baby girl Julia was born at 12:00 a.m., making her the hospital system’s first baby of 2026. Julia weighed 10 pounds 5 ounces. Additional births followed across the system, including Adriel Santoyo, born at 12:28 a.m. at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights, and Romi, born at 12:59 a.m. at Memorial Hermann Memorial City.
Other Houston-area hospitals also reported early arrivals. St. Luke’s Health The Woodlands Hospital welcomed Myla Mae Chebret at 12:12 a.m. Houston Methodist hospitals reported their first newborns at The Woodlands at 12:26 a.m., Cypress at 12:45 a.m., and West at 7:28 a.m.
East Coast Hospitals
In the Philadelphia region, Penn Medicine Doylestown Hospital welcomed Henry Schamp at midnight. Temple Women and Families Hospital delivered Ezekiel Hall at 12:10 a.m. At Main Line Health’s Lankenau Medical Center, Elliott Jude Sarnoff was born at 12:22 a.m., weighing 8 pounds 3 ounces.
In New Jersey, Virtua Voorhees Hospital reported Landon born at 12:55 a.m., weighing 8 pounds 10 ounces, while Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick delivered a baby boy at 12:40 a.m., weighing 6 pounds 7 ounces.
In Connecticut, Hartford Hospital welcomed Isla Marie Frost at 12:08 a.m., weighing 7 pounds 2.3 ounces. Louis Medina III was born at 12:36 a.m. at Manchester Memorial Hospital, weighing 7 pounds 6 ounces. Davi dos Santos Silva arrived at 1:45 a.m. at Bridgeport Hospital, while Ezra Diaz was born at the same minute at Stamford Hospital. Additional births included Cori at 1:47 a.m. at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Elias Raylon at 2:45 a.m. at Yale New Haven Hospital weighing 8 pounds 2.9 ounces, and Jayson at 8:29 a.m. at UConn John Dempsey Hospital, weighing 8 pounds 15 ounces.
Rocky Mountain and Sun Belt Hospitals
In Colorado, hospitals such as HCA HealthONE Rose Medical Center and AdventHealth Castle Rock welcomed early newborns, including a baby girl born, Eliza at 12:21 a.m. in Castle Rock. CommonSpirit St. Francis Hospital also reported early 2026 arrivals.
In Utah, Intermountain Health St. George Regional Hospital welcomed Valley Zohner at 12:09 a.m., weighing 6 pounds 1 ounce and measuring 20.5 inches. University of Utah Health reported its first baby, Waylon Boone Church, born at 1:34 a.m., weighing 7 pounds 9 ounces.
In Florida, St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach welcomed Eliam Caleb at 12:06 a.m., weighing 6 pounds 13 ounces.
Together, these births reflected a nationwide moment of celebration and the continuous work of nurses and healthcare teams who support families through every delivery.
Why the First Babies of the Year Matter to Nurses
The arrival of the first babies of 2026 is more than a feel-good headline. These births highlight the continuous care that labor and delivery, postpartum, and neonatal nurses provide in maternal and newborn health.
Deliveries do not wait for business hours. Nurses working in labor and delivery, postpartum units, and newborn care ensure safe outcomes for families around the clock. From monitoring labor to supporting breastfeeding and performing newborn assessments, nurses are present for some of life’s most important moments.
Hospital Celebrations and Giveaways
Some hospitals also marked the occasion with community celebrations. At Saline Memorial Hospital in Arkansas, the family of the first baby born in 2026 received a gift basket with newborn essentials and a gift card. Many hospitals also shared photos and announcements online to honor families and the nurses who supported their care. These gestures highlight the dedication of maternal and newborn nurses who provide compassionate care every day of the year.
Image Source: St. Luke's Health
As 2026 begins, these first newborns represent hope, new beginnings, and the nurses who make those moments possible. While families welcomed their babies with joy, nurses across the country were there at the bedside, providing the skill, compassion, and care that start every new life on the strongest footing.
🤔Nurses, does your hospital do anything special for the first babies born on New Year’s Day? Share your thoughts about this below.
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