Shropshire welcomes Christmas Day babies

Ten babies were born at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on Christmas Day.

But, while there was a rush at its maternity unit, there wasn't a single birth 20 miles down the road at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

In fact Shrewsbury boasted the only babies born in the whole of Shropshire on Christmas Day, with other maternity units in the county also drawing a blank.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital currently has the only maternity unit in the county with consultant cover and gets the most "bookings". Others, as the PRH and at Bridgnorth, Ludlow and Oswestry are midwife-led units.

Thelma Thomas, Midwifery Sister at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, said it was pure coincidence that all the mums booked in to the RSH had gone into labour on Christmas Day, while others booked elsewhere held on.

She added: "It is just one of those things. You cannot predict when a woman is to go into labour. Most of those who came in on Wednesday were booked in, although we also take mothers from elsewhere who for medical reasons need extra care."

Mothers and fathers welcomed seven boys and three girls into Shropshire this year.

Anna Chance, 35, from Randley, in Telford, who is a manager at Homebase, was originally due to give birth on December 18.

But she received quite a shock when she went into labour on Christmas Eve.

She said: "I was in Marks & Spencer's at the time. I was not expecting a baby on Christmas Day but James was born at 10.55am. We've named him James Junior, who weighed 7lb 7oz, after his father, James Wilkinson."

Nineteen-year-old Bonnie Sandwith, from Oakengates, just squeezed in a Christmas Day birth when she welcomed 7lb 9oz Sienna, despite being due on January 7.

She said: "I was not expecting a Christmas Day baby and she nearly came in the ambulance. Within 20 minutes of being in the hospital Sienna was born. My other child is 18-months-old and Sienna has been a nice surprise."

Hayley and Tyronne Allday, both 28, welcomed their own bundle of joy, 9lb 11oz Zavier, just after 6pm. Mrs Allday, a mental health councillor, from Wem, was not due until January 13 but she had been advised her baby could come early because of his size.

She said: My waters broke Monday and Zavier was born at 6.02pm."

Eva Konarska, 30, a housewife, from Dorrington, near Shrewsbury, gave birth to her second boy, Natan, who weighed 8lb 10oz, at 12.03am.

Tasha Nelson also gave birth to 7lb 6oz Daniel Junior Woolley at 1.42am, while Emma Stubbs had a baby girl, weighing 7lbs, at 4.39am.

Baby Begum was welcomed into the world at 2.42pm weighing 7lb 11oz and Lauren McNeice had a 7lb 14oz boy at 7.01pm.

Ms Thomas said: "Ten babies is probably what we deliver on an average day but it was a busy one.

"I'd like to thank all the staff for their hard work and wish them all – and the new mother, fathers and babies – a happy Christmas and New Year."