Brooklynites hatch unique birth plan

Preparing to be first-time parents comes with a long to-do list: Put together a nursery, buy a crib, pack a hospital bag.

Usually not among the list – plan a trip to Lido Key.

But for Dina and Austin Scherer, that was essential to their plan. The two Brooklynites didn’t want to deliver their baby in New York City.

First of all, it was cold and snowing (they think they missed five snowstorms while in Florida). Secondly, the hospitals there, they said, have a high turnover rate and don’t give as much focus as they wanted.

So, the two found Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

Austin Scherer’s grandmother lived in Sarasota for 30 years before moving to California five years ago. He grew up visiting her in Sarasota, and when he and Dina started dating 12 years ago, she began tagging along on those trips.

The two had heard good things about Sarasota Memorial, so they did their research and found a doctor.

Luckily, the two were able to work remotely for the last month of Dina’s pregnancy while staying on Lido Key. Austin Scherer is an advertising executive and Dina is a wardrobe stylist and personal shopper.

“It just worked out in the sense that we were able to take advantage of the weather, take advantage of being in a much more relaxed atmosphere than hectic New York City,” Dina Scherer said.

On March 28, five days before his due date, Charles J. Scherer was born. Without a car, his parents took an Uber to the hospital at 7 a.m.

Thankfully, their driver had an idea of what was going on, so he drove quickly but carefully, Austin Scherer said.

“We brought a lot of people down with us,” he joked.

Throughout their time on Lido Key , the family has made friends. One man, who is also staying at the Lido Dorset, tried to get the couple to name Charlie after him (coincidentally, Charlie is his brother’s name). Later, that man’s wife knitted Charlie a hat.

The Scherers planned to fly back to New York with Charlie but say they have accumulated too much stuff. Now, they plan to rent a car and make it a family road trip, making stops along the way.

They know it’s not a plan that works for everyone, and even their parents were wary at first. Although they don’t know if they’ll have more kids, the two say they would do this plan again. They look at it as officially planting roots in Florida.

“I love the idea of attaching memories to places,” Dina Scherer said.

And they hope to make annual family trips to Lido Key with Charlie.