Christmas duo make their debut appearance

A baby boy and girl born tie for the title of Whittington Health’s first babies born on Christmas morning.

 

Baby Luck and Anastasia join the exclusive club of babies who are born on December 25. Baby Luck is yet to be named, but has already been given a very special middle name, Santos. They were both recorded as having arrived into the world at 2.26am on Christmas morning.

 

Whittington Health’s Maternity Ward was busy on Christmas Day. On the day shift alone 17 midwives, 5 doctors, 2 anaesthetists, Operating Department Practitioners, Healthcare support workers, domestic staff, and community staff were working hard to support women giving birth at the hospital and in their own homes.

 

All babies born on Christmas day at the Whittington Hospital received a handmade red and white striped knitted hat. And babies born too small and too soon admitted to the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) received a little Christmas stocking stuffed with small treats.

 

“You could really mull over missing out on Christmas Day by being at work. But when you become a midwife, that’s what you sign up for. You’ve just got to make the best of it,” said Jane Laking, Midwife. 

 

The Trust’s maternity staff have a lot to celebrate in the new year as plans were recently approved to improving and refurbishing the department. In total, over £100 million will be spent on the long-term project that will help to match the facilities with the high standard of service that the team already provide. Work is expected to begin on phase 1 in the first half of the new year.

 

You can read more about our maternity transformation project here.

 
Having a baby at unexpected times and not where you had planned isn’t something that has changed since Mary’s delivery in the stable. “People think no one will come to the Maternity department on Christmas Day, but you can’t really control when baby will come!” says Jane.

 

“When you work for the NHS, you do what you have to do. And as my dad used to say when I would leave for work on Christmas, ‘well, someone had to deliver baby Jesus!”