Meet the first baby born in Wakefield in 2021 - as new mum praises 'amazing' NHS midwives

A new mum who welcomed the district’s first baby of 2021 has praised the “amazing” NHS staff who assisted her with her delivery.

First-time parents Rebecca and Joe O’Neill welcomed daughter Neve Grace at 1.47am on New Year’s Day, weighing 7lbs13oz.

And her new year arrival was a big surprise to the couple, from Normanton, who had been expecting her to arrive almost two weeks earlier.

Rebecca, 28, said: “She was supposed to be born on December 19, so she was really late.

“We thought she might come on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, but she obviously didn’t want to be born in 2020.

“In hospital they kept saying she would be close to being the first new year baby.”

Rebecca and Joe, 27, found out that they were expecting shortly after the first lockdown was introduced, and knew that their maternity experience would be far from the usual.

“We found out just as we went into lockdown,” Rebecca said. “But we thought it would all be over by December.

“Joe didn’t get to come to any of the scans, we paid for some private ones that he could come to instead.

“After I was induced he had to leave, but then he came back for the birth.”

Rebecca praised the midwives and nurses who had supported her through pregnancy and birth at Pinderfields Hospital, and promised other mums-to-be that staff would be there to support them, despite the pandemic.

She said: “The midwives were amazing. My midwife was called Zoe, and she was really nice and made you feel at home.

“They all made you feel like there wasn’t a pandemic on.

“Obviously there are changes and things that have to be done, like wearing masks, but it’s not as bad as you think it’s going to be.

“All the procedures are there for a reason and the staff do such a good job that they have you at ease.”