IT was the best present they could have hoped for – the arrival of a baby on Christmas Day.The region's maternity wards had a busy Christmas period with many newborns deciding to make their entrance on the big day.

IT was the best present they could have hoped for - the arrival of a baby on Christmas Day.

The region's maternity wards had a busy Christmas period with many newborns deciding to make their entrance on the big day.

At Ipswich Hospital, one of those born had a particularly appropriate name - Holly - but her parents revealed it was chosen in the summer and purely a coincidence.

Holly May Baldock was born at 2.57am weighing 7lb 15oz after her mother Annabelle Thursby, of Ipswich, came into hospital the previous evening.

Her partner Cliff Baldock, a constable with Suffolk police based at the Martlesham headquarters, said: ''We chose the name way back in the summer and everybody seems to think it is a nice name. Having a baby today makes any other Christmas present seem insignificant.''

Five-year-old Olivia Frost was thrilled when a baby brother was born at 9.30am. Her mother Zoe Frost had come into hospital late on Christmas Eve, returned home and was then back in the hospital a few hours later to give birth to Lewis, 7lb 2oz.

Her husband Gavin Frost, a fork lift driver of Kelvedon Drive, Rushmere St Andrew, was not expecting his wife to give birth until New Year's Eve.

Laura Modder, of Portman Road, Ipswich, and her partner Pablo Wright were delighted when a 6lb girl Yazmin was born at 1.53am.

At West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, one of the Christmas Day arrivals was Felix Chung.

Coralie Chung, 31, went into labour on Christmas Eve, with Felix weighing in at 9lb 7oz when he was born at 12.23pm on Christmas Day.

Mrs Chung, from Newmarket, said: "He was 15 days late but he was certainly worth the wait. This is the best Christmas present ever and the fact Felix was born on Christmas Day makes him extra special."

Felix's father is a horse trainer in Newmarket, but Mrs Chung has already ruled out the possibility of her son becoming a jockey.

"He is probably too big already," she said.

Although she was four days overdue, little Phoebe Wood ended up making an appearance very quickly on Christmas day.

Her parents Lisa and Steve, rushed into West Suffolk Hospital at 2.45am and Phoebe was delivered, weighing 7lb 10oz, exactly an hour later. She is a little sister for brother Massan , aged two.

Speaking from the couple's home at Great Saxham, near Bury, Mrs Wood, 26, a nursing assistant, said: "She was actually overdue, so she was a nice Christmas present.

"We discharged ourselves quite quickly so we could have Christmas dinner, which was cooked by my mum and stepdad."

At Colchester General Hospital one happy mum was delighted with her Christmas present - a baby boy.

Weighing in at 8lb and 6oz, Danielle Redfern's firstborn arrived at 9am on December 25.

Although he had been due on December 16, Danielle, from Great Bromley, said she had somehow known she would be giving birth on Christmas Day.

"I didn't know I would be having a boy," she said just before lunch on Christmas Day. "I haven't got a clue what I am going to call him," she added.

Meanwhile in Sible Hedingham, Victoria Davey gave birth to her second child - a baby boy called Sennen.

The youngster, whose father's name is Grenville Davey, was delivered at home and weighed six pounds and 12 ounces.

The first baby born on Christmas Day at the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston took his dad by surprise by arriving while he was abroad.

Katrina Humphrey, 22, from Lowestoft, had not been due to give birth until December 29, but was induced by hospital staff so she could get home to look after her three-year-old son Brandon.

She gave birth to a baby boy weighing 6lb 5oz at 12.55am.

Miss Humphrey said she would wait until her newborn son's father, Troy Jacob, 22, was back in the country before deciding on a name.

She said: "He is absolutely gutted to have missed the birth. He was due back on December 29, when I was also due to have the baby," she said.

Two babies were born at the hospital between midnight and breakfast time.

Kaitlin Sinden was the second to arrive - a first baby for mum Suzannah Sinden, 30, and her husband Anthony, 30, from Worlingham. She was born at 3.02am weighing 6lb 5oz.