All we wanted for Christmas was you!

Julie Hinchcliffe, senior midwife at the Turner Road hospital, said: “We’ve certainly been very busy.

“We were expecting to be busy because it was quite quiet during the early part of December, so we guessed this was coming.”

However, not all the mums made it to hospital.

Kevin Fowler was so shocked when his wife went into labour, he asked her for the number to dial for an ambulance.

But he had to quickly pull himself together and deliver baby Violet himself, with the help of a paramedic on the other end of the phone.

Wife Lee’s labour was so short, the ambulance did not arrive until about 20 minutes after the birth.

Mr Fowler, 40, of Kingsland Road, West Mersea, said: “I thought I would be prepared, but clearly I wasn’t.

“I was so out of it at the beginning, I asked the missus what number to dial to get an ambulance.

“Then after about a minute, I came around and I was OK.

“I had the paramedic on the phone talking me through everything.

“I had to ask her to repeat a few things, but generally, she talked me through everything step by step.

“It was over before I knew it. It was all so quick.

“To have a baby on Christmas Day is amazing, but to deliver her myself is the best present I could have asked for.”

Violet was born at about 12.45am and weighed a healthy 8lbs 6oz.

Mum Lee, 36, said: “She wasn’t actually due until New Year’s Eve, so instead of a new year baby, I got a Christmas baby.

“My labour came on quickly and my contractions were coming so quickly, I knew we were out of time and told him to call an ambulance, but within minutes she was here.”

When ambulance crews arrived, they assessed Mrs Fowler and Violet and decided they were both healthy and did not need to go to hospital.

Mrs Fowler added: “So, we’ve just continued on as normal for Christmas, except we’ve got one more of us, which is the best present we could have had.”

Violet joins brother Spencer, 20 months, and sisters Ella, 12, and Ruby, three.

‘My best present ever’

JOCASTA Webb and John Faulkner were told to expect their second child on December 21, but later, the date was moved to Christmas Eve.

Mr Faulkner said: “I had an inkling she would come on Christmas Day.

“It’s the best Christmas present I will ever get.

“She’s so beautiful, I think we’re both ecstatic and too wired to be tired at the moment.”

The couple, both 40, of Tilkey Road, in Coggeshall, arrived at St Michael’s Hospital, Braintree, at about 1am on Christmas day.

Ellie was born at 3.35am and weighed a healthy 8lbs 3.5oz.

Mr Faulkner added: “As if it wasn’t good enough to have her born on Christmas Day, we actually found out Jocasta was pregnant on my 40th birthday, so it was a double celebration.”

Big brother, Jude, was also delighted to meet his little sister.