CHRISTMAS Day brought five new arrivals to Great Western Hospital’s maternity ward.

First to be born was Evelyn Legg, born by caesarean section a little after 9am.

The youngster was 11 days late – and a healthy 9lbs 2oz when she finally arrived on Christmas morning.

Mum Becky, 27, smiled: “We were meant to have people over. We didn’t get very far.”

She said staff on the delivery suite, who had paired their uniforms and clinical scrubs with festive ornaments, had been lovely.

“It was quite surreal,” she added. Becky and partner Matt, also 27, were hoping to be able to get Evelyn home to Blunsdon yesterday.

Sleepy Evelyn posed in her father’s arms. “She’s very chilled out now. Last night she was putting us through our paces,” said Becky.

Miranda Morse, also from Swindon, gave birth at 3pm. She described the birth – in a birthing pool – as peaceful and natural. Certainly, her new-born daughter appeared very relaxed as she dozed in her cot wearing a cream-coloured romper suit.

Her parents were yet to settle on a name. But she is likely to follow the family tradition of taking a first name that starts with the letter “M”. Miranda and husband Mark’s other three children all have M as their first initial.

Miranda’s children visited the hospital to meet their sister. “They’re totally in love with her,” said Miranda. The mum praised the maternity ward staff, who handed out Christmas gifts to her older children.

She put problems with heartburn during her pregnancy down to her daughter’s full head of jet -black hair: “The theory is definitely true.”

Veronica Andries, 31, from Gorse Hill, was feeding Alexandra as the Adver toured Hazel Ward on Boxing Day morning. The baby – who has a 22-month old sister – was born at 2.43pm weighing around 8lbs 8oz.

“It was fast,” Veronica said of the birth. “It wasn’t easy – but it was fast.” The mum-of-two was waiting for doctors to sign her and Alexandra off before they could head home to complete the Christmas festivities.

In another room off the main corridor, Grace Odonkor, 33, was recovering in bed with daughter Karen and partner Prosper Kanyong by her side.

Their baby was born by caesarean section on Wednesday evening weighing a little over 7lbs. She was a Christmas surprise for Grace and Prosper, with the due date almost a fortnight earlier.

“Thankfully, all the monitoring they did showed everything was fine. There wasn’t any problem with her health,” beamed Prosper, from Rodbourne.