Jeff and Natalie Holden welcomed their new baby girl, Muriel Elise Holden, on Saturday, January 6, 2024. The new edition to the family is believed to be the first baby born in the qathet region in this year.
The preplanned at-home birth happened alongside the family’s doula and midwife, with the midwife arriving after the fairly quick birth of the Holden family's sixth child.
Natalie said she had what's called a mermaid birth, or en caul birth, which is a fairly rare phenomenon, when the baby is born inside an intact amniotic sac. This can be caused by a quick birth.
"We are feeling a great calm," said Jeff. "The kids are all smitten with their new baby sister, and we are just settling in. The baby herself is very chill."
They welcomed their newest child almost two weeks late, thinking she would arrive in December.
"Jeff was kind of hoping that she would end up being the first born in the new year," said Natalie. "We did not have a name for her right away, and we ended up giving her a mermaid kind of name."
Muriel was welcomed at home, by her five siblings and parents, Jeff and Natalie at approximately 12:12 pm.
Join the Peak’s email list for the top headlines right in your inbox Monday to Friday.
