A BUSY day at on the maternity unit at Dorset County hospital gave parents the best Christmas present they could wish for.

Six babies were born at the ward on Christmas Day, keeping the staff and their parents busy throughout the day.

The proud parents were beaming from ear to ear after their special arrivals and spoke to the Echo at the maternity unit.

The first baby to be born on the day was Dimitar Medlina, who entered the world at 12.52am weighing a healthy 8lb 7oz.

Proud mum Radka Medelina, from Sturminster Newton, went into labour on Christmas Eve and said she was ‘pleased’ to have had a Christmas Day baby although she hadn’t expected it beforehand, with Dimitar her first child.

Danielle Stone and Osca Sullivan, from Portland, attended the hospital on Christmas Eve for a routine growth scan as she was 38 weeks pregnant and there were concerns the baby was not growing enough in the womb.

Miss Stone was then kept in overnight at the hospital and gave birth to Isla just after 5am on Christmas morning.

Isla, who weighed 4lb 1oz, is the couple’s first baby and was born two weeks premature. She is being looked after in the special care baby unit.

Mum Danielle said: “It’s really nice, a nice Christmas present.

“I wasn’t expecting a Christmas Day baby at all, we just came in for the scan and they asked me to stay in.

“I had the whole of Christmas day planned out, but I’m glad she’s here now.”

Shazia and Wajahat Wani, from Weymouth, welcomed their first born child, a baby girl called Ayesha, at 3.56pm, weighing 5lb 8oz.

The couple arrived at the hospital on Christmas Day, and Mr Wani said: “It went very well, but she did scream a lot.”