Meet The First SG60 New Year Babies

While many folks were reveling in New Year’s Eve festivities, Li Mingyue and her husband had a more important task at hand – seeing to the smooth birth of their second-born Amelyn.

Dr Li, an associate consultant at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), and her cardiologist husband, also 33, checked in at the hospital at 6pm on 31 December for an induced delivery though her due date was supposed to be 5 January. 

“I was already 2cm dilated when my doctor checked me last week,” shares the 33-year-old mother, who looked fresh-faced on a video call just hours after her delivery at 3.41am. The baby weighed 3.3kg at birth.

Other than being one of the first few babies born in the 60^th year of Singapore’s founding, Amelyn also shares a similar trait with her mother and sister Ally. “My birthday is on 6 June, my firstborn’s on 7 July, and now this one's on 1 January. All double-double!” quips Dr Li. 

Is it at all weird to give birth at your very own workplace? Not at all, if you ask Dr Li, who is familiar with the environment and processes at Singapore’s largest maternity hospital.

“I delivered my first one here too. I felt very well supported by my colleagues so I have very strong faith and confidence in the hospital,” says Dr Li.

Now Dr Li and her cardiologist husband Dr Ang An Shing are gearing up to parent two kids under two, an undertaking notoriously not for the faint-hearted. “I don’t think [the idea] has sunk in yet!” laughs Dr Li.

When asked about their hopes for the baby’s future, the couple’s answer was simple: “We just want our children to be happy and healthy,” says Dr Ang.

First 2025 baby at KKH a wedding anniversary surprise

Meanwhile, the very first baby born at KKH this year arrived at 12.24am, over two weeks earlier than expected, and weighed 3.07kg at birth.

Baby Maryam is the first daughter born to Nafisah Binte Omar, 37, an administrator, and Mohd Taufiq, 40, a production specialist. The couple has two older sons, aged 10 and 7.

During a check-up on 19 December, Nafisah was already 2cm dilated and on 30 December, it had progressed to 3cm. By 7pm on 31 December, the seasoned mummy was admitted to the KKH Delivery Suite and had a smooth birth. Taufiq shared that 31 December was the couple’s 13^th wedding anniversary, adding an especially sweet note to the arrival of Maryam. They hope for the newborn to grow up healthy and happy, and embody the values of humility, respect and responsibility.

Waiting for fireworks to happen

Over at Parkway East Hospital, the first new year baby was delivered naturally a mere 34 seconds after midnight, weighing 3.886kg.

His parents Emilia binte Abdul Jaffar and Muhammad Idham Bin Zainuddin, both civil servants, had expected him to be born one to two weeks earlier but the baby decided to wait for the fireworks to make a grand entrance.

In fact, the birth progressed so quickly that 35-year-old Emilia was not able to take an epidural. The couple have two other daughters aged seven and four.

Father Idham, 36 says: “We are both extremely happy to welcome our first baby boy. It's a double joy that he's born on the first day of the year!

We're grateful that he is born healthy and strong, and our wish for him is simply to be in good health, and grow up to be a filial son, and a caring brother to his sisters."