Parents' mad dash for New Year son

WELCOME: Te Puke's Waikamania Thompson and partner Wharera Dinsdale, with their new baby and their two-year-old son Waipihangarangi. PHOTO/ SUPPLIED

Several hours before giving birth to one of Tauranga's first 2016 babies, Te Puke mother-of-two Waikamania Thompson was seeing in the New Year with her family in Mount Maunganui.

Her 7lb, 6oz (3445 grams) second son, who is yet to be named, entered the world at 6.14am at Tauranga Hospital, three days earlier than expected, she said.

"My partner and I were seeing in New Year's at my mother's new home in Mount Maunganui, and all my brothers who have arrived home from Australia, when my contractions started about 11 pm."

Within a few hours her labour pains were coming on strong, she said.

Ms Thompson, 23, said she and her partner Wharera Dinsdale, 24, drove towards the Bethlehem Birthing Centre where she had planned to give birth but in the end had to make a mad dash to Tauranga Hospital instead.

"We saw lots of police cars on the way, and if one of the officers had stopped us, I would have had to deliver our son on the roadside," Ms Thompson said.

"It was a very quick labour in the end.

"We got to the hospital about 6am, my waters broke at 6.05am, and my son was born nine minutes later," she said.

Ms Thompson said her new baby looked like his father, who was absolutely chuffed, and her other son two-year-old Waipihangarangi was starting to bond with baby.

He wanted to kiss and cuddle his brother all the time, she said

"I have described our new baby on my facebook as hairy, healthy and handsome. He has full head of hair just like his older brother. He's beautiful," she said.

"We haven't been able to find a name for him which feels right yet. But we weren't able to find the right name for my oldest son for nine months, two weeks, so it's not surprising," she said.

Ms Thompson said when her and her partner did choose, they were likely follow the family tradition of choosing an ancestral name.

During her pregnancy Ms Thompson repeatedly told her family she didn't want a New Year's Day baby.

"My partner and I were very surprised but in the end it doesn't really matter, he's a lovely baby. New Year's Day will a definitely be an extra special occasion in our family from now on."