The first baby born at the new birth center at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido arrived just before 6 p.m. Thursday, just four hours after the center opened.
The baby girl, Gretsch, born to Alpine and William of Escondido, was six pounds, five ounces.
The couple was presented with a special gift basket from the hospital, marking the milestone at the center.
The birth center has 33 private labor, delivery and post-partum rooms, each with its own dedicated family areas.
This new center will replace the birth center at Palomar Medical Center Downtown Escondido, which operated for decades before the downtown location closed.
The shift to the new location is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
Palomar Health plans to open a dedicated women's and children's unit at the new medical center in the future.
