Fast-growing Wyndham welcomes bumper crop of newborns in January

Wyndham is enjoying a bumper baby boom, with 50 bundles of joy born in just four days at the fast-growing region’s biggest hospital.

Mercy Werribee midwife Ciara Noble with five of the total 328 bubs born in January. Picture: Josie Hayden

Wyndham is in the middle of a bumper baby boom with 50 bubs born at Werribee Mercy Hospital in just four days last month.

More than 320 babies — among them two sets of twins — were born at the hospital in January, including three on New Year’s Day and seven on Australia Day.

Even the hospital’s midwives are keeping the stork busy, with many of them clocking off to have their own babies, nursing unit manager Louise Thompson said.

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Craig Brown and Laura Paone, of Point Cook, welcomed baby Ella Rose on Australia Day. Picture: Josie Hayden

Ms Thompson told the Wyndham Leader the maternity unit had run hot with around 15 babies born a day through January.

Data shows 328 bundles of joy entered the world at Werribee Mercy last month, above the monthly average.

“We usually average about 321,” Ms Thompson said.

Wyndham’s population was 217,122 in 2016 and will top 270,478 this year, the latest Census data reveals. The booming local government area is tipped to reach 489,379 by 2041.

ABS birth registry data shows 4821 newborns were welcomed into Wyndham in 2017 — 130 more than 2016.

Ms Thompson, who has worked at Werribee Mercy since it opened 25 years ago, said she couldn’t “think of a better career”.

“Most of our mums live in the area so we get to care for women and babies who live in our community and see them come back to have their second and third children,” she said.

“That’s just the most amazing privilege”.

And Ms Thompson said more midwives were needed to keep up with demand.

“(The midwives) are all leaving to have babies themselves,” she said.

“Many are around that age where they’re starting their own families and for whatever reason it’s just worked out that way.”

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