Two babies born at Emerson Hospital on Thanksgiving Day made the holiday extra special for their families who both live in Bedford, Mass. Every day is a wonderful time to welcome a newborn, but Thanksgiving, which focuses on gratitude, enhances the meaning of having a baby.
Teresa Rose Holtgrefe arrived early Thanksgiving morning at 4:41 a.m. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 20.5 inches long. After a long labor, her parents, Natalie and Joseph Holtgrefe, were, “very happy and very thankful to have our first child be healthy.” They chose to deliver their baby at Emerson because the hospital came highly recommended and it is near their home. Natalie received nitrous oxide (laughing gas) during her labor to take some of the edge off. Emerson is one of the few hospitals in the area to offer eligible patients nitrous oxide for pain management during labor.
“All of the staff were excellent and always so informative and attentive to our questions and needs,” said the new parents. After Teresa was born her mother held her on her chest for skin-to-skin bonding. Several hours after she arrived, her parents enjoyed a complimentary Thanksgiving dinner with all of the fixings prepared by Emerson’s food services team. Later that day relatives came to Emerson to meet Teresa and share a Thanksgiving dinner together. Teresa was delivered by Dr. Fred Lea and Dr. Avra Jordano-Alter of Concord OB/GYN Associates. She is named in honor of several of her relatives. Her name is also influenced by her parents’ love for Spanish culture.
Emily Jessica Preston was born at 4:35 p.m. on Thanksgiving afternoon to parents Leah and William Preston. Weighing in at 8 pounds, 4.5 ounces, and measuring 20.5 inches long, Emily joins big brother Miles William who is four years old. “It is wonderful to have her born on Thanksgiving. We are very grateful that mom and baby are healthy and we have lots of support from our families,” said William. “The care team has been very compassionate and supportive. The staff readily offered skin-to-skin contact as soon as Emily was born which was appreciated. The food is great too.”
Emily was delivered by Dr. Megan Loring who was covering for Leah’s regular obstetrician, Dr. Ingrid Balcomb, FACOG of AFA Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her mother is an officer in the United States Coast Guard and the family lives together at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford. Emily’s middle name is in honor of her mother’s twin sister, Jessica.
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Emerson Hospital is a multi-site health system headquartered in Concord, Mass., with additional facilities in Sudbury, Groton and Westford. The 179-bed hospital provides advanced medical services to more than 300,000 individuals in 25 towns. To learn more, visit www.emersonhospital.org.
