Christmas babies take a bow

Twelve babies were born at the hospital on Christmas Day, including Karina Dominica Bayas, who made her entrance into the world at 6.24am, weighing a healthy 8lbs 11oz.

Mum Deborah Bayas, a shop assistant at the Co-op in Walton Street, said her family’s Christmas had been changed forever.

She said: “She was expected to arrive on Christmas Day, but we were hoping she wouldn’t because Christmas is Christmas.

“But it is a real blessing to celebrate two births on one day. She is a real gift.”

The 29-year-old was in labour for 12 hours, and proud dad Kelvin, 29, was called away from his Christmas Eve shift as a chef at Bella Italia in George Street.

Mrs Bayas, from Walton Street, Jericho, added: “It is going to change Christmas forever. We are now going to look forward to it even more.

“The family have all been calling and sending text messages so much that my phone battery has run out.” Mr Bayas added: “It was a real relief. Deborah was in a lot of pain for the last two months, and couldn’t walk or move properly.

“Her big sister Dorothea woke up this morning and has just been staring at her.”

And for Nicola Vosloo, 38, from Reading, it was a real-life case of no room at the inn.

With the maternity ward at the Royal Berkshire Hospital closed, she was moved from the maternity suite in Wallingford to the JR during her 25-hour labour. She said: “I joked with the guys in the ambulance that we would have to look for a stable.

“Now it feels great – it was all worth it.”

Her first child, 7lbs and half-an-ounce Jamie Lucas, was the first arrival at the JR on Christmas morning.

She said: “We were hoping he would be born on Christmas Eve, but he hung on for an extra hour and five minutes.

Maternity ward manager Cathy Brawn said: “Every birth is beautiful, but Christmas is a special day.

“It is a lovely day to work here, and it is always quite busy.”

Another three babies were born at the Horton in Banbury.