AMHERST, N.S. — Pam LeBlanc knew her newest arrival would be soon, but her third daughter came a little earlier than expected.
Anna Jade LeBlanc-Dowe was born at 5:21 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2 becoming the first baby born in 2020 at the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre. She is the daughter of LeBlanc and Jesse Dowe of Sackville.
“We never thought she would be the first baby of 2020, it was something we never thought of,” LeBlanc said. “It happened so fast.”
LeBlanc visited the appointment earlier in the day for an appointment with Dr. Helen Sandland, but her water broke and she had to go into the operating room because the baby’s heartbeat had dropped dangerously low.
“It took only 17 minutes from the time the decision was made to operate til when she was born,” said LeBlanc, who admitted to being quite sore in the days following the emergency C-section. “They were afraid they were going to lose her so they rushed us into the operating room.
The baby was originally due on Christmas Day, but the due date was pushed back and she was just visiting the hospital for a checkup with Dr. Sandland.
“She decided it was time,” LeBlanc said.
Now their daughter has been born, LeBlanc and Dowe are excited.
“It’s exciting when you think about it,” she said.
It’s the third baby for LeBlanc after 15-year-old Keirsten Bailie and 10-year-old Sophia Martin-LeBlanc, and the first child for Dowe.
“They’re really excited,” she said.
