Jessica and Alayah Valdez Photo by Adventist Health Tulare

The first baby born under the Adventist Health banner in Tulare made her arrival to the excitement of an excited obstetrics team.

Baby Alayah Rene Valdez was born to Jessica Rene Valdez, 24, at 1:49 p.m. on Monday, and was delivered via cesarean section by Dr. Abraham Betre. According to Adventist Health, the mother and child are both doing well.

“I’m delighted and very happy,” Betre said. “The staff was great, and the family is very happy. We have all been waiting to restore birthing service for a long time, and now it’s back. We are excited to provide this service to the community.”

Baby Alayah weighed seven pounds and measured 20½ inches in length. Valdez has two boys, ages 4 and 6.

The obstetrics team had been preparing for the arrival of the first baby for weeks, and the California Department of Public Health last week gave the team the green light to open the birthing unit on schedule. On delivery day, the delivery team decorated Valdez’s room with balloons and flowers to welcome her new baby, along with two gift baskets filled with baby items.

“It was special,” Valdez said after the birth. “Just exciting. I’m a little tired now, but it was good.”

Now that the Birth Center is open, the hospital expects to deliver many more babies in the future.