TWO Christmas Day babies were born at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny while another was born at home in Pontypool just minutes into Christmas morning.

Rachel Bevan, 34, from Pantygasseg, near Pontypool, gave birth to baby girl Rowan at home at 12.05am on Christmas Day.

Proud partner James Cowling, 37, and daughter Milly, seven, were at home with her when her labour pains started.

The couple had bought a birthing pool for their planned at-home birth, but did not get the chance to use it as 6lb 15 oz baby Rowan was in a hurry to meet them.

Ms Bevan said: “We rang the midwife a 11.35pm and said should we start filling the pool? But she said no, she wanted to check me over first, and the baby arrived 10 minutes after the midwife got here.

“She would’ve been born on Christmas Eve if we had used the pool, as it’s meant to speed things up.”

The couple had been told the baby was due on December 29, but when baby Rowen was born she had winkled hands and feet, a sign she may actually have been overdue.

“We are very happy, tired and overwhelmed,” said Ms Bevan. “We are ecstatic with her. As soon as I found out my due date I joked that that she would be born on Christmas Day – but I didn’t expect it would actually happen. But she is lovely. And we know Milly is going to be a very good big sister.”