As many celebrated New Year’s with friends and families, some parents across the country celebrated bringing new life into 2023.

Percy was born just seconds after midnight at South Auckland’s Pukekohe Birthing Centre, to parents Evvie and Chris.

The newborn is the first to be born in Auckland, and possibly the country, in the New Year.

Parent Chris said everyone was feeling good and “doing well.”

“The birth was very smooth and a lot quicker than expected,” he said.

The whānau expected to be in the birthing centre for at least another day.

Cooper came into the world at 12.12am on January 1 at North Shore Hospital in Auckland.

He is the first child of proud parents Katie and Chad, and weighed nine pounds and five ounces.

There was no special meaning behind the name, just something the couple liked.

Katie was originally due to give birth on Christmas Eve, then set to be induced New Year’s Day, before going into labour Saturday.

Everything went smoothly, and the couple had already made their way home with the new baby.

“It is quite exciting, but we need to get some sleep now.”

Across the city, Middlemore Hospital welcomed south Auckland’s second baby of the year at 12.26am, a boy who weighed 10 pounds (4.5kg).

The first baby born at Auckland City Hospital was at 2.36am.

In the capital, Oracle was born at 1.22am at the Hutt Hospital. She was due on New Year’s Eve, but ended up being Wellington’s first baby of 2023.

Mum Crystal chose the name because she believed the child was a messenger of grace – it was 19-and-a-half weeks when she discovered she was pregnant because she had no symptoms at all.

“Everything about Oracle – the pregnancy and labour was completely different to what I’ve experienced,” she said. “Given the fact she’s such a miracle baby, [being the first baby in 2023] adds so much more to the story.”

Nikisha Otene of Ashburton welcomed her second son, Malakai, at 2.31am.

He was the second baby to be born in Canterbury on January 1.

She left Ashburton about 5am Saturday and got to Christchurch Women’s Hospital about 6.30am.

She had contractions “all day” but it was not until the New Year’s Day that he was finally born.”

“He’s my angel baby,” she said.

Source: stuff.co.nz