Gonville residents Lauren and Nick welcomed Archie Raymond Penn at about 11:37am. Photo / Supplied
Gonville residents Lauren and Nick welcomed Archie Raymond Penn at about 11:37am. Photo / Supplied
For Te-Oti Mareikura-Tane and Odette Edmonds, welcoming their baby girl Mihi Terina Tane into the world on Christmas Day was the best present they could have wished for.
Mihi was the first of four babies - two girls and two boys - born at 5:30am at Whanganui Hospital's maternity wardacross Christmas day.
Gonville residents Lauren and Nick later welcomed Archie Raymond Penn at about 11:37am.
Mareikura-Tane and Edmonds expected their Mihi to be born on Christmas Day throughout the pregnancy, and that is just what happened.
"It is definitely an interesting present," Mareikura-Tane said.
"Water was breaking around 3.30am and the baby was safely delivered at 5.30am. It all went smooth.
Te-Oti Mareikura-Tane and Odette Edmonds welcome their baby girl Mihi Terina Tane. Mihi was one of four babies born in Whanganui Hospital on Christmas Day. Photo / Supplied
"The midwives here at Whanganui Hospital are awesome."
The four babies were born across Christmas Day.
"It was quite a busy day," said a Whanganui Hospital core midwife.
"It is quite a big number. It was quite a bit of a shock, it was quite a busy day. Babies don't wait for anything."
She said delivering four babies in a day was a relatively normal number at Whanganui Hospital, but it was special to have that many on Christmas Day.
"It's not a shock, but it was a nicely busy day for everyone."
The first-time parents utilised Māori tikanga around childbirth and plan on staying in hospital for a few more days to learn from the staff in the maternity ward.
