New Norfolk couple welcomes first baby on Christmas Day

Candice and Rhys Brimblecombe welcomed their first baby at the Royal Hobart Hospital on Christmas Day. ENTRIES OPEN FOR CUTEST BABY OF 2024 >>

Candice and Rhys Brimblecombe with newborn baby Theo at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Picture: Bridget Clarke

Candice and Rhys Brimblecombe had a birthing class booked in for Saturday, but little Theo had other plans.

“I woke up at midnight because my waters had broken and we had to rush here pretty quickly,” Mrs Brimblecombe said.

“We had a caesarean booked for the 31st, but turns out we don’t need that anymore.”

Weighing 7Ib 1oz, Theo Nicholas Brimblecombe was born at 2.30am December 25 to become Hobart’s first Christmas baby.

Mrs Brimblecombe said with Christmas her favourite day of the year, Theo’s arrival was “the perfect way to honour it”.

“Booking in the caesarean I was a little disappointed because I wanted the suspense of waking up and thinking ‘today might be the day’ but I got in the end,” she said.

“The perfect Christmas gift, he is.”

Candice and Rhys Brimblecombe with newborn baby Theo at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Picture: Bridget Clarke

Speaking from her birthing suite on Wednesday afternoon, Ms Brimblecombe said the arrival of Theo – the couple’s first baby – was “surreal”.

“I’ve had maternal instincts for as long as I can remember and after getting married in March we starting trying straight away,” Mrs Brimblecombe said.

“This is something that I’ve wanted for such a long time and now it’s here.

“We couldn’t be any more in love with him.”

And while arriving earlier than expected, Mr Brimblecombe said the midwives were “incredible”.

“We didn’t really need the birthing class because the staff were amazing and explained things in a way that was really easy to understand,” he said.

“They were just so supportive and very caring.”

Royal Hobart Hospital midwife Lucy Sanderson Dyer said working on the maternity ward always felt like “being a part of a special little club”.

“It’s special being with women birthing anyway because you feel like you have some kind of insider knowledge of the world in general but especially on significant holidays,” she said.

“It feels really real.”

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Originally published as New Norfolk couple welcomes first baby on Christmas Day