Geraldton family in love with their new baby, the first born in the city for 2022

After a tough year, a local family has welcomed the start of new beginnings with the arrival of the first baby born in Geraldton for 2022.

New mum Skye Green gave birth to A’leta Curley at about 5.30pm on January 2, some 12 hours after she arrived at Geraldton Health Campus.

Weighing 3.3kg, little A’leta was due to be born on New Year’s Day but — like the many party goers recovering from a big night out — she opted instead to wait another day before venturing out into the world.

The baby looks a picture of perfection in her red Minnie Mouse jumpsuit as she sleeps soundly in her mother’s arms, with proud grandmother Chloe Green describing A’leta as an “old soul” who is “very alert” for a newborn.

Ms Green found out she was pregnant just two days after the death of her beloved grandmother, whom her daughter is named in memory of.

Navigating pregnancy in the middle of a global pandemic was also a challenge, Ms Green says.

“It was all a bit of a shock at first and I had to get my head around everything … I was also scared because of COVID,” she said.

Hoever, Ms Green said her loved ones and the maternity staff at Geraldton’s public hospital were always there when she needed a helping hand.

“They were all very helpful at the hospital,” she said.

Her comments come months after concerns were raised about the ability of the campus to meet additional demand following the temporary suspension of the maternity ward at St John of God Geraldton Hospital.

The private hospital cited staffing shortages — exacerbated by non-compliance with COVID vaccine mandates — as the primary reason for the pause on maternity service delivery.

But pressures on the healthcare system and the ongoing uncertainty about the inevitable transmission of COVID in Geraldton has not deterred locals from growing their families.

According to Department of Justice statistics, there were 629 registered births in the Mid West last year, with 621 of those babies born in Geraldton.

The data points to an increase in local birth rates over the last 12 months, with just 604 babies born across the region in 2020. Nevertheless, registered births have yet to return to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019 when 641 babies were born in the Mid West, of which 634 were born in Geraldton.