Charlotte couple’s daughter is Oaklawn's first birth of 2023

MARSHALL – Oaklawn’s first baby of 2023 is Kairi Rose Kelley, born at 8:29 a.m. Monday, Jan. 2, in the Oaklawn Birth Center. The child is the daughter of Niki Scholz and Dillon Kelley of Charlotte.

Little Kairi weighed 6 pounds and 14 ounces at birth, and measured 19 inches long, according to the mother. The birth was a caesarean delivery, she said, adding that the newborn is her fourth child and the first for the father.

Scholz said this was the first time she had come to Oaklawn for the delivery of one of her children.

“I like the staff and I’ve had the Oaklawn Medical Group as my provider for about seven years,” the mother said, remarking that the Birth Center’s personnel “were friendly and kind and answered my questions.”

The hospital staff presented the family with a gift basket containing items for the child and family. Included were a blanket, toys, an infant outfit, a winter-weather hat and mittens, a bib set, teething items, a holder for monthly photos and a lavender candle.

Oaklawn’s renovated Birth Center opened in 2012. Based on the number of deliveries since then, staff expect to welcome nearly 600 newborns during 2023, said  Tracee Hathaway, RNC, BSN, the director of Oaklawn’s Birth Center.

At Oaklawn, a new mother remains in one comfortable, homelike room from labor through the time she takes her baby home. Each of the 11 private rooms for labor, delivery, recovery and post-partum care is decorated in soft colors and features a private bathroom and shower, a rocking chair and other amenities to make the mother and baby feel at ease.

Oaklawn’s infant security system allows the nursing team to monitor the location of each baby in the Birth Center, which is a locked unit monitored by staff members.

Experienced obstetrical nurses are always prepared to answer questions or respond to any need, and can provide information about natural relaxation, breathing techniques and pain medication. The Birth Center also offers pre-natal and childbirth education classes.

For additional information about the Oaklawn Birth Center and its services, go to www.oaklawnhospital.org or call (269) 789-3929.