'We were as shocked as anyone': Couple has first baby born in B.C. in 2021

First baby of 2021 born at BC Women's Hospital A Vancouver couple is pleasantly surprised that their new bundle of joy is the first baby to be born in B.C. in 2021.

Vancouver — Catherine Harrison's first child was due on Christmas Day, but she ended up having to wait a little longer for the special gift.

Harrison delivered a seven-pound, four-ounce baby girl via Cesarean Section at 12:21 a.m. on New Year's Day. Her child is the first to be born in B.C. in 2021.

"We had been at the hospital most of yesterday labouring and then it ended up being a C-section that was unplanned," Harrison told CTV News Vancouver. "I think we were as shocked as anyone at the timing, to be honest."

Harrison said she hasn't settled on a name for her new daughter just yet.

"We're close, but I don't think we're totally decided," she said.

Harrison and Darcy Doberstein, the baby's father, will spend a few more days at BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre in Vancouver before taking their child home, Harrison said.

The couple plans to have video calls with friends and family to introduce them to the new addition while respecting COVID-19 rules.

"2021 is definitely going to look different for us, I'd say," Harrison said.

Roughly 7,000 babies are delivered at BC Women's Hospital annually.

Along with Surrey Memorial Hospital, BC Women's was the betting favourite to see the province's first birth of 2021, according to the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, which took bets on which hospital would welcome the first child of the new year.

This is the first time since 2017 that the province's first baby of the year has been born at BC Women's.