Kaitlyn, daughter of Dr. Dan and Jennifer Herold of Hastings, was the first baby entered on Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital's new On-Line Nursery, which became fully operational Monday. Hospital spokeswoman Lisa Brandt said MLMH decided to offer the site as a courtesy to newborns' families. When a baby is born, the hospital gives his or her parents the option of putting their bundle of joy on the page, said nurse Nancy Grove, who works in the hospital's nursery.
Officials take color pictures of the baby and the parents choose which one to post on the site.
The service is free. The newborn can be added to the site as soon as 24 hours after the birth, Grove said, and is left on it for six months. Parents also decide if the announcement is posted right away or when the baby is ready to go home. Parents fill out a form, including time and date of birth, length, weight and first names of the mom and dad. The parents also can put comments on the site.