PROUD parents celebrated the best gift of all yesterday as their bouncing babies were born on Christmas Day.

PROUD parents celebrated the best gift of all yesterday as their bouncing babies were born on Christmas Day.

Ipswich Hospital expected to see 10 newborns by the end of the day while West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds and Colchester General Hospital also saw a number of new arrivals.

Among those celebrating at Ipswich yesterday were John Lock, 30, and his wife Carol, 37, whose daughter Danielle was born at 8.04am, 19 days early and weighing in at 5lb 2oz.

The Felixstowe couple, who have been married for five years, said it was the best Christmas present they could have wished for.

Mr Lock, who works in imports, said: “Danielle is our second child and we are hoping family and friends will come round when we get home and we will enjoy a few beers to celebrate.”

At 10.25am on the hospital's Deben Ward, Hannah Mulligan, 16, from Nacton, near Ipswich, gave birth to her daughter Lily, who weighed in at 6lb 12oz.

She said: “I am just so glad she is okay. It is a bit unusual having her on Christmas Day. She's just so special.”

Heidi Mathews' baby Dylan was born on the Deben Ward at 9.39am, weighing in at 8lb 15oz, four days early.

Miss Mathews, 18, and her partner Joe Leech, 20, both from Ipswich, are hoping to celebrate with their family and the proud mother said Dylan was “the most gorgeous boy” she could have wished for.

Charlotte Moffat, 16, from Ipswich, was also celebrating the birth of Leah at 11.39am, weighing 7lb 8oz, also on the Deben Ward.

Leah was due on the 28th and Miss Moffat said she was overwhelmed, adding: “My baby is perfect.”

Davina Gant, a senior midwife at Ipswich Hospital, said: “We had five babies arrive by late afternoon, but expect that could rise to double figures by the end of the day.”

Proud mother Claire Baxter was back with her family enjoying a full festive lunch with all the trimmings after she gave birth to a special delivery at 3am at West Suffolk Hospital on Christmas morning.

The swift turnaround for the new mum came as a big surprise as her two other children were well overdue. But baby Alfie, who weighed in at a hefty 8lb 9.5oz, was right on cue as Claire's contractions started on her due date of Christmas Eve.

Claire, 26, said she was delighted to be back home within hours of the birth to be able to enjoy Christmas with her family.

Claire, and Alfie's father Steven Raven, 27, live in Ripon Way, Thetford, with their two other children, Chelsea, eight, and four-year-old Harley.

The new mum said everything had gone smoothly: "It all went fine - I wasn't in labour very long. My contractions started at about midnight and went on for about three hours. It was very straight forward really. It was lovely to be able to go home so quickly. We've had most of our family here celebrating all morning. Thankfully, we're going to Steven's family for Christmas dinner so at least I don't have to worry about cooking."

West Suffolk Hospital midwife Wendy Brinkley said baby Alfie was the only birth at the hospital in the first half of Christmas Day but two prospective mothers were admitted later in the day and she said they had a chance of giving birth in the closing hours of the big day.

At Colchester General Hospital six baby boys were born on Christmas morning.

Among them was a son for Peter and Vicky Josse from Sible Hedingham - the first child the couple have had together.

The baby weighed in at 7lbs 4oz when he was born at 9.10am.

The couple, who are both IT managers in the finance sector, said they had not yet chosen a name for their son.

He was, they said, a honeymoon baby, as they were married in February.

Vicky, 31, said that he had been due nine days earlier.

“But somehow we knew in our heads he would be born on Christmas Day,” she added.