Christmas Day baby joy

Maternity units in Shropshire had a bumper festive period as 16 babies were born in the county on Christmas Day.

Staff at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital had the busiest Christmas Day as 13 of the babies were born there. Two of the mums and their new babies were then transferred to Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital.

And at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, three bundles of joy were born.

Check out our photo gallery above.

Sister Thelma Thomas, a midwife at the RSH, said: "We had a really busy Christmas Eve night when we had six babies born and we had two the night before Christmas Eve.

"On Christmas Day it was busy in the morning and then it got busier in the evening. The staff have done their utmost best to help the ladies through their Christmas period in the hospital."

There were no new arrivals at the hospitals in Bridgnorth or Oswestry.Two of the mothers who had their babies at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital were later moved to the new maternity unit at Oswestry's Orthopaedic Hospital.

Maternity staff at the RSH were kept busy throughout the day, with many of the babies born in the early hours and several in the afternoon and evening.

The first baby to be born on Christmas Day came into the world at the RSH at 2.15am, weighing 4.460kg (9lbs 8oz).

Sarah Jones, from Oswestry, gave birth at 3.08am to a girl weighing 3.740kg (8lbs 2oz).

Staff at the RSH were also delighted to see the arrival of twins who were born at the hospital to proud mum Zoe Rowley, from Sutton Coldfield. Both were boys with the first born at 3.57am weighing 1.150kg (2lbs 5oz) and the second born at 4.21am weighing 1.350kg (2lb 9oz).

A girl weighing 3.280kg (7lbs 2oz) was also born at 4.26am, while another girl was born at 6.25am, weighing 3.840kg (8lbs 4oz).

Rachael Saunders, from Ellesmere, gave birth at 7.54am to a boy who weighed in at 3.840kg (8lbs 4oz).

Alexandra Cameron, from Shrewsbury, gave birth to a girl who weighed in at 3.560kg (7lbs 8oz) at 9.59am, while Amanda Batton, from Shrewsbury, gave birth to a girl weighing 3.760kg (8lbs 2oz) at 12.56pm.

Jo-Anne Whitehead, from Telford, had a boy weighing 3.060kg (6lbs 7oz) at 4.28pm, and at 7.49pm Sarah Ngo-Zulu, from Telford, gave birth to a boy weighing 3.680kg (8lbs 1oz).

A boy who weighed exactly 3kg (6lbs 6oz) was born at 10.46pm and the final baby of the day was a boy born to Kelly Griffiths, from Ludlow, at 11.43pm weighing 3.160kg (6lbs 9oz).

Sister Thelma Thomas, a midwife at the RSH, said: "On Christmas Day it was busy in the morning and then it got busier in the evening. The staff have done their utmost best to help the ladies through their Christmas period in the hospital. We would like to wish all our mothers a happy Christmas and a nice new year with their babies."

At the Princess Royal Hospital, three boys were delivered at the maternity ward.

The first was born at 4.30am weighing 2.92kg (6Ibs 4oz) to Suleana Kaul, of Birchlee Close, Priorslee.

Then at 8.51am Martina Craig, of The Savanahs, Wellington, gave birth to her fourth child, who weighed 2.9kg (6lbs 3oz).

The final delivery was at 4.55pm, a 3.460kg (7Ibs 5oz) baby born to Kayleigh Scott, of Brockwood Copse, Shawbirch.

Rhiannon Bartholomew, left, from Welshampton, with Isaac, born on Christmas Eve, Sarah Jones, from Oswestry, with Ella Marie Marshall, born on Christmas Day and Rachael Saunders, front, from Duddleston Heath, with her son born on Christmas Day. He has not yet been named.

Sarah Ngo-Zulu, of Brookside, Telford, with her baby boy.

Alex Cameron, from Porthill, Shrewsbury, with baby Isabella.

Joanne Whitehead, from Ketley, Telford, with her baby boy.

Mandy Batten, from Westbury, with baby Bethan at the RSH.