Hawke's Bay is bursting with babies.
Births in the region were up by nearly 10 per cent in the year to June - the highest increase in the country. That's also well above the national increase of just under 2 per cent.
Figures released by Statistics New Zealand showed 2465 babies were born in Hawke's Bay in the year to June, compared with 2250 in the previous 12 months.
Births have been increasing in the region since 2003, following several years of dropping birth rates.
A spokeswoman for Hawke's Bay District Health Board said the numbers were "no surprise". The figures reflected the increase seen in demand for maternity services.
Plunket area manager Jan Tanfield said they'd seen more demand for clinical services, coffee groups, parenting groups and toy libraries.
"We'd like to think it would slow down a little bit but there's nothing we can do about it, we have to just take them as they come."
Around the country, 64,121 babies were born, up from 62,964 the previous year.
Bay top baby boom region
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