'We feel really lucky' - Meet the cute bundles of joy that arrived on New Year's Day for Black Country families
New Year's Day is always a chance for expectant Black Country families to welcome their new bundles of joy into the world.
Midwives at Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital were rushed off their feet with new arrivals in the early hours. Among the happy families were Laura Ball and Connor Jones, both aged 26, from Tividale, who welcomed their new son Hudson into the world at 7.30am. He weighed 6lbs and 7oz and arrived six days early.
Laura, a secretary, said: "He's my second baby and he wasn't due until January 6. This time round was much harder than my first Iabour. I came in for a scan on Tuesday which showed there was an issue so a decision was made to induce me.
"This was a very different new year to previous years. I spent it in the delivery suite watching the fireworks over Dudley which were pretty good to watch and a distraction."
Delighted first-time parents Balwant Kaur, aged 37, and Ankit Bassi, aged 34, from Bilston, welcomed their new daughter at 9.39am. Weighing 7lbs 4oz she has not yet been given a name.
Balwant said: "It's is our first child and she has arrived exactly on my due date. We feel really lucky because only five per cent of babies actually arrive on the date."
Dad Ankit added: "We didn't know if our baby was going to be a boy or a girl. We wanted it to be a surprise."
Dudley's Katie Moseley and partner James Edwards, both Tesco online workers, were full of praise for the maternity ward staff at the hospital. Their daughter Lyla Rose was born at 9.33am and weighing 5lb 7oz and is a new sister for siblings Maya and Connor Moseley, aged 13 and 11 respectively, and Robyn and Jack Edwards, aged 11 and eight respectively. All were born at Russells Hall.
Katie, aged 34, says: "This is my third baby and she was the hardest. Lyla Rose is just over two weeks early. I went into labour on Tuesday and we've been here since then.
"She has come as a surprise for us."
At Walsall Manor Hospital Chloe Green gave birth to the delivery ward's first baby of 2026 in the early hours of New Year’s Day and the family said "he was the best surprise".
Freddie Jordan Harper was born at 4.24am, weighing 6lb 1oz and arriving 11 days early to give himself a very special birthday.
Chloe said: “My waters broke late last night and everything happened quite quickly. I had a water birth on the midwife-led unit, which was a lovely experience.”
The couple also have a 14-month-old daughter, Isabella, who is now a big sister for the first time.
Proud dad Jordan Harper added: “I think Freddie’s big sister Isabella might get a bit jealous when she’s older — he’s got such a special birthday.”
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