At one minute after midnight on New Year’s Day, newborn Analy Ester Rivera became the first baby of 2025 at Virtua Voorhees Hospital.
Analy weighed in at seven pounds and measured 20 inches long. Her early arrival – she was due on Jan. 13 – was a surprise to her parents, Sol and Gabriel Rivera of Pennsauken.
“We are so happy and thankful for this great blessing,” Sol said. “We didn’t expect to be here on New Year’s. It is such an amazing feeling, and we are overjoyed. We will always cherish this experience.”
Analy is the third daughter for the Riveras, joining 7-year-old Victoria and 3-year-old Nayomi.
At Virtua Voorhees, Analy’s birth was a memorable occasion, as is the birth of the first baby of every new year.
“Analy’s family, I think, was surprised to find themselves in that situation, because the anticipated due date was a few weeks away,” said Ruth DiLeo, assistant vice president of Patient Care Services at the hospital. “I’m sure it will be a big celebration every year in their house.”
DiLeo explained how the labor and delivery unit celebrates holidays and births in special ways.
“We like to make every holiday extra special and memorable for our patients, including New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day,” she explained. “Sometimes, in the labor and delivery unit, it is easy to lose track of time in the countdown to midnight, but you can hear the cheers and applause down the hallway when the clock strikes 12.
“This year, our first baby of 2025 arrived just one minute after midnight, so it created an extra celebratory atmosphere …” DiLeo added. “What makes it extra notable is that she was the first of 24 babies born on Jan. 1. We welcomed 24 babies in 24 hours.
“This exceeded our daily average and made the holiday even more memorable.”
Virtua Voorhees says it averages about 9,000 births a year, but it maintains other traditions when a new baby arrives on special occasions like New Year’s.
“Our professional governance team makes hats for babies to commemorate special occasions,” DiLeo noted. “They are adorable and delight our families. It makes some of their first photos of their newborn even more special.”
The unit also presented Analy’s parents with a 4-foot teddy bear for their daughter.
“I hope her family keeps it for a long time,” DiLeo said.
