First Lowcountry baby of the New Year

Whether her baby would be the Lowcountry’s first-born in 2013 was the last thing on Shauna King’s mind.

The 34-year-old Santee resident had gone into labor around her Dec. 29 due date, but the birth at Summerville Medical Center was postponed because of a medical issue. Then young Cody Ethan Fisher got stuck on his way out, King said.

But he made it, officially at 12:10 a.m., and became the first known area birth this year. Named after King’s brother who died in 2010 at age 29, Cody weighed 10 pounds, 3.8 ounces, was 22 inches long and, most importantly, he was healthy, King confirmed during a brief phone interview from her hospital room Tuesday afternoon.

King, who works for the South Carolina Department of Social Services and has a teenage daughter, hopes to take Cody home today.

“I’m happy that he’s OK, because he scared us,” she said.

Medical University hospital placed a close second in the first-baby sweepstakes this year, with doctors there delivering an infant at 12:26 a.m.

A Yemasee woman had a daughter via water birth at the Charleston Birth Place at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to Lesley Rathbun, the owner of and midwife at the North Charleston facility.

Roper St. Francis delivered its first baby, a girl, at 4:36 p.m., according to hospital spokeswoman Kim Keelor.

East Cooper Medical Center, which is known for delivering babies and delivered seven on Dec. 31, had not delivered one this year as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, according to spokeswoman Kari Davis.

“This is definitely a first for us,” Davis said.

Reach Brendan Kearney at 937-5906 and follow him on Twitter at @kearney_brendan.