Lovedeep Singh and Navjot Kaur welcomed their first child, Shehzad Singh, on January 1 - one of the first babies born in the Bay of Plenty region in 2024.
Lovedeep Singh and Navjot Kaur welcomed their first child, Shehzad Singh, on January 1 - one of the first babies born in the Bay of Plenty region in 2024.
When Pāpāmoa man Lovedeep Singh received a phone call in the middle of the night from his pregnant wife saying that her water had broken, he was in Auckland picking up his family from the airport.
Knowing she was alone, he rushed home.
“It was the longest hours of my life.”
Singh and his wife Navjot Kaur have welcomed their first child, a boy, Shehzad Singh, who was one of the first babies born in the Bay of Plenty region in 2024.
Shehzad was born at 1.44pm on New Year’s Day at Tauranga Hospital – two-and-a-half weeks before Kaur’s due date on January 17.
Lovedeep Singh and Navjot Kaur welcomed their first child, Shehzad Singh, on January 1 - one of the first babies born in the Bay of Plenty region in 2024.
Singh told the Bay of Plenty Times he had “no words” to describe the happiness of having a new baby boy.
On December 30, Singh said he went to pick up his parents, his brother and his brother’s wife from Auckland who were arriving from India just before midnight.
While in Auckland, Singh received a call from Kaur saying her water had broken.
Singh said he called an ambulance for her which arrived “quickly” and took her to the hospital.
“It was a relief for me ... she’s in the right hands now.”
After collecting his family, they rushed home at 3am on December 31.
“It’s our first baby and we don’t have any experience or anything like that. But even the doctors say she’s a tough woman, she managed everything by herself.”
Singh said he went to the hospital on December 31 and stayed with her.
Lovedeep Singh and Navjot Kaur welcomed their first child, Shehzad Singh, on January 1 who was one of the first babies born in the Bay of Plenty region in 2024.
On Monday morning, Singh said Kaur was taken to the delivery room and Shehzad was born that afternoon. .
“Everyone is happy, everyone is healthy.”
Singh said the family was waiting on a few test results and could either go home tonight or tomorrow morning.
He said he had taken some time off work to spend time with his family.
Last year, the first baby in the Bay of Plenty region was born at Tauranga Hospital at 12.37am on January 1. Daljeet Kaur gave birth to her daughter Amaanat, which means God’s treasure.
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.
Correction
An earlier version of this story said Shehzad Singh in Tauranga was the first 2024 baby born in the Bay of Plenty region. Te Whatu Ora Health NZ has since clarified a baby was born earlier on New Year’s Day at Whakatāne Hospital. The story has been updated.
