Derbyshire Dales: New arrivals on the first day of 2015

New Years Day babies at Chesterfield Royal Hospital. Pictured is Claire Jenkins and Andrew Smith from Tansley with Isla Edith born at 05:57.

Proud parents had an extra special reason to celebrate the arrival of 2015 as they welcomed their babies in the world on New Year’s Day.

New mum Claire Jenkins, of Tansley, gave birth to a girl weighing seven pounds one ounce at 5.57am in Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

The solicitor said the baby had been due on New Year’s Day, however she hadn’t expected to come on time.

“It was quite a surprise when she did,” she added.

“I went into labour in the morning of New Year’s Eve but I didn’t really know if it was the baby or not.”

Realising she was in fact in labour, Claire called her boyfriend, Andrew Smith, who was working a night shift, and they got to the hospital at about 1.30am.

Claire, 34, said her little bundle of joy, who has been named Isla Edith Smith, is perfectly healthy and she and Andrew, 38, are now settling into parenthood, as well as still unpacking their belongings as they only moved house a few weeks ago.

She added: “We are just getting used to it. She’s just constantly feeding at the moment.”

On the same day, Sarah Owen, of Brassington, gave birth to a little boy weighing eight pounds and 15 ounces at 11.30am at Royal Derby Hospital.

Sarah, 37, and her husband Huw, 40, are already parents to two-year-old Harry.

She said the baby had been due on Christmas Eve and as her first child had been late, she had expected the second child to be as well.

“We just hoped we would get through Christmas and also get through the snow,” Sarah, a marketing consultant, said.

Luckily she skipped the worst of the weather and went into labour on New Year’s Day morning, having gone to bed early the night before.

She spent the morning playing with Harry and got to hospital at 10.30am.

“It was all very straight forward,” Sarah said.

The family is now getting to know the new arrival, who has been named George Dylan.

“We feel wonderful,” Sarah added.

“It was just really nice that we got to spend plenty of time together over Christmas before George arrived and now we have got time with him in the new year, which is really nice.”

She gave her praise to the birth centre at Derby.

“It was a really lovely birth experience even though it was quite quick and intense.”

Do you have something special to celebrate in 2015? Have you reached a milestone or overcome a period of adversity?

Tell us your story by emailing [email protected]