DELIGHTED mums gave their new child a birthday to remember after giving birth on New Year's Day.

Stourport GP Andrew Cox celebrated becoming a dad for the first time at 7.50am when wife Nicola gave birth to baby Eleanor.

The proud father, who practices at York House, said: "We didn't expect to it to be New Year's Day at all, it was due before Christmas but it was perfect being on a day like that, we were really happy she was born on New Year's Day.

"Most people associate New Year's Eve and New Year's Day with getting drunk and having a hangover but we have another thing to celebrate now."

One couple, however, were expecting their baby on the first day of 2005. Lewis Dean Bower was born at 4pm, weighing 8lb 1oz, to first time parents Becky Pritchard and Dean Bower.

Becky's mum, Caroline, told the Shuttle/Times and News: "It was her date in actual fact and she felt wonderful that Lewis was born on New Year's Day. It is good to know they are both safe and well."

Both babies were born at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and then transferred with their mums to Kidderminster Hospital.

Kidderminster's birth centre has been closed for deliveries since September 2003 and the new year babies will be among the last since hospital bosses announced that overnight stays for recovering mums would be withdrawn from the end of this month.

Another Kidderminster couple, Sarah and Scott Jones, were given the best Christmas present ever with the birth of a baby boy on December 25.

Sarah said they were delighted with the arrival of 6lb 7oz Archie Flynn Jones, just after 6pm.

She said "As we knew he would come along at Christmas we were quite organised and had already sorted out the presents."