THE Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport had six bundles of joy arrive on Christmas Day.

Rachel King from Caerphilly gave birth to baby Joseph John King at 12.04am on Christmas morning, making him the first Christmas baby to be born in 2012.

She said: "He weighed 7.15lb and we are already home. We were released at lunchtime yesterday (Christmas day). He's my third baby and he's already very good and is settling in well."

Melanie Ainsworth from Corporation Road, Newport, gave birth to her first baby, Yusuf, who was born at 2am on Christmas morning weighing 5.7lb.

Ms Ainsworth said: "We are taking him home today, we're very excited. We are going to start our new life at home with him, I can’t wait."

Lucy Weeks from Caldicot gave birth to baby Lukas four weeks early at 7.16am. She said: "He’s in the special care baby unit at the moment as he was premature. He was 5lb exactly, and he has tiny hands but these really big feet! He’s lovely."

Sobia Asif, from Maindee, gave birth to baby girl Mehvish Asif at 6.01am on Christmas morning.

Proud dad Asif Zia said: "We took her home yesterday afternoon. We came back to the hospital today so she can have a checkup. She weighted 6.5lb, and she is our second child. She’s beautiful."

Also at the Royal Gwent, Monika Magnova gave birth to baby boy Jakub Magna, who weighed an impressive 8lb 12oz, and Alwya Yagobosomer gave birth to a 7.5lb baby boy at 3.55am, although the baby is yet to be named.

Elsewhere in Gwent, first time parents Joanne and Jamie Parry, of Greenmeadow, Cwmbran welcomed Oakley Patrick Parry into the world at 5.21am on Christmas Day.

Mrs Parry said 6lb 9oz Oakley was a surprise Christmas present, having arrived four weeks early at Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny.

Mr Parry, said they were expecting Oakley to arrive on January 18.

He said: "We did not expect to see him in time for Christmas but he’s our little Christmas present."

"Next year we will celebrate Christmas in the morning and his birthday in the afternoon."

Another baby was born at 3.40am on Christmas Day (Tuesday, December 25) at the Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr Hospital's birth centre.