As thousands of people across Suffolk ushered in 2015, some of the county’s newest parents were also celebrating, as they welcomed their New Year babies to the world.
At Ipswich Hospital it was a relatively quiet night in the maternity unit, which saw two new arrivals.
Leanne Peart, 37, and Stefan Symonds, 41, of Great Blakenham, near Ipswich, were the first proud parents to see in 2015 when baby Maja Symonds was born at 1.20am.
“It felt like a bit of a race when we got past midnight,” Mr Symonds said.
The pair said it was nice to know their daughter was one of the first new-born babies to see 2015, even if she was nine days late.
Weighing in at 7lb 6oz, the fair-haired girl completes the missing piece of their family puzzle, which already includes 14-year-old Charlie Lewin and six-year-old Darcey Symonds, who said she was pleased she had a little sister to look after.
The second arrival came at 7.10am when Lauren Collison, 30 and Ross Harvey, 30, of Braziers Wood, Ipswich, finally met their son, Leighton Harvey.
The proud mum was taken into the maternity unit at 2am on New Year’s Day and said: “He was supposed to be a Christmas baby but he decided to stay a bit longer – it was too frosty outside.”
Leighton weighed in at 9lb 1oz and he is the couple’s second winter son, with three-year-old Rhys Harvey being born on December 1.
The on-duty midwife, Beverly Ringrose, said it was a privilege being part of someone’s experience, especially on New Year’s Day.
At West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, the first arrival of 2015 was Miller Boseley, who weighed in at 6lb 14.5oz. Mother Nicola and dad Jason, from Fornham St Genevieve, just outside Bury, said it was “absolutely amazing” to have a fourth son.
Miller will be a younger brother to Sam, 17, Charlie 13, and Beau, two.
Mrs Boseley said: “It feels absolutely amazing that he is finally here. He seems content and has been quite quiet so far but he’ll probably be louder tonight.” Jason, a timber agent, said Miller would be sharing with Beau in their blue-coloured bedroom.
Their midwife Gill Wildmun, 53, has worked at the hospital for 28 years but has never helped give birth on New Year’s Day before. She said: “I never cease to be amazed by what some of the mums do in terms of being relaxed when they are in labour.”
Also at West Suffolk, Emily Berry, from Great Cornard, near Sudbury, gave birth to her baby boy Luca, who weighed 6lb, at 1.29pm yesterday with dad Stewart Wells by her side.
And there was another boy born at 2.42pm. Mum,Heidi Cantwell and dad Ashley Buckle, have not yet named their son, who weighed in at 8lb 10oz.
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