Winchester Hospital Welcomes Leap Year Baby

The following was submitted by Winchester Hospital.

welcomed its first leap year baby on Feb. 29. Charlotte Jane was born to Nicholas and Laurie Matthews of Billerica at 9:39 a.m. She weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces and was 20 ¾ inches long.

The decision to schedule the cesarean section on Feb. 29, leap day, was not a difficult one. Laurie took an informal poll among friends asking whether a leap year birthday is “Terribly awesome or awesomely terrible,” most agreed that it was terribly awesome. 

“The day only comes once every four years, it’s something special,” said Nicholas. “And Charlotte will be able to have a lot of fun with it through the years,” he added.

The fun ways to celebrate the birthday is something Nicholas looks forward to. “My friend gave a mock driver’s license to a woman celebrating her 64th birthday because it was only her 16th actual birthday,” he said. Others with a leap year birthday often celebrate with age appropriate themes. “I heard of another leap year birthday for a 28-year-old woman and the theme was Hello Kitty because after all it was only her seventh birthday.”

Kidding aside, Nicholas has great praise for obstetrician Peter Rotolo, MD and the nurses in Winchester Hospital’s Labor & Delivery department and Mother Baby Unit. “Dr. Rotolo was awesome and all of the nurses have been wonderful,” he said.