Marshall couple's sixth child is Oaklawn's first birth of 2021

MARSHALL – Oaklawn’s first baby of 2021 is Aurora Rain Esterline, born at 9:28 a.m. Friday, Jan. 1, in the Oaklawn Birth Center. The child is the daughter of Matt and Autum Esterline of Marshall.

Little Aurora weighed 6 pounds and 2 ounces at birth, and measured 18 inches long, Oaklawn’s nursing staff reported.

The child is the sixth baby for the couple, who moved to Marshall during 2019. The Esterlines have three sons and two other daughters.

“We bought our first house here last fall,” Matt Esterline said, adding that he and his wife chose to come to Oaklawn for Aurora’s birth because it’s close to their home.

“We’ve liked the doctors and the hospital,” he said. “It’s very family-friendly, and everything has been great so far.”

Autum Esterline agreed with her husband’s assessment, adding that she was pleased with the service she and her child received from the Birth Center’s staff.

“It’s been great,” she said. “The nurses are good and the doctors are, too.”

The hospital staff presented the family with a gift basket containing items for the child and family. Included were a blanket, bath towels, washcloths, stuffed animals, teething toys, bath soap, wipes, a book and baby outfits/pajamas.

Oaklawn’s renovated Birth Center opened in 2012. Based on the number of deliveries since then, staff expect to welcome about 800 newborns during 2021.

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.

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CAPTION: Oaklawn’s first baby of 2021 is Aurora Rain Esterline, born at 9:28 a.m. Friday, Jan. 1, in the Oaklawn Birth Center in Marshall. The child is the daughter of Matt and Autum Esterline of Marshall.