Babies make a New Year entrance

Jan 2 2009 by Richard Fletcher, The Journal

THESE two new arrivals were a wonderful present to welcome in the New Year after being born within one minute of each other.

Twins Isabella Rose and Harriet Mae Oldfield arrived very early in the morning on New Year’s Day to the delight of proud parents Ruth and Mark.

But it all started quite suddenly just before midnight on New Year’s Eve, just as the couple were sitting down for the evening to enjoy the coverage of the New Year celebrations on television.

When Ruth’s waters broke at 11.45pm, they had to drive to Wansbeck Hospital in Ashington.

Ruth, 28, said: “We were just settling in to watch the show when my waters broke, so we had to get in the car. We had to say Happy New Year in the car on the way.

“We’re really happy. It’s surreal but it’s a good start to 2009.”

Mark joked: “Everyone must have been excited about it because there were fireworks everywhere.” The babies were born at 2.42am and 2.43am by Caesarean section, with Isabella weighing 5lbs 11oz and Harriet 6lbs 2oz.

Ruth, who was born in Alnwick, met accountant Mark through a friend.

The pair then moved countries to Perth as Mark, 35, is from Australia, and Ruth worked as a marketing manager for a charity.

They came back to Northumberland to have Ruth’s family for support.

Ruth added: “New Year’s Day will be a bit of a party day in the future.”

Meanwhile, in Newcastle’s RVI, two mums were going into hospital at a similar time to be induced.

Julie Dougal, 34, from High Heaton went in on New Year’s Eve as baby Joseph Thomas was two weeks overdue. He weighed in at a whopping 10lb 1oz.

Julie, who works for Home Group and who already has a 15-year-old daughter, said: “He was putting on his winter weight. I was glad it wasn’t Christmas – if he’d been born on Christmas Day I couldn’t have called him Joseph.”

Claire Falcus went in at a similar time on New Year’s Eve and gave birth the next day to baby Jessica, who weighed 6lb 12oz.

Claire, from Walker, said: “We were saying on the way ‘will it be an 08 or an 09 baby?’

“It’ll be a more special day from now on. It’s an easy birthday to remember – she’ll be pleased when she’s older.”

:: See the world through the eyes of toddler Fred Telfer by reading his blog at www.journallive.co.uk/blogs