NT welcomes three New Year’s babies born at Alice Springs Hospital, including the first Territorian of 2024

Three babies were born in Alice Springs on New Year’s Day, including Elzina Ellis, the fourth New Year’s baby in her family.

New Year’s Day was extra special for Natalia Foster, 29, who birthed her first baby at Alice Springs Hospital.

Elzina Ellis entered the world around 3pm on Monday afternoon with Ms Foster praising ASH staff for their care.

Baby Elzina also continues a family tradition, sharing a birthday with Ms Foster’s grandmother, father and brother-in-law.

The First Nations mum from Tennant Creek said the arrival of her daughter was like a “birthday present for them”.

Elzina was one of three New Year’s babies born in the Red Centre town with the very first Territorian, a boy weighing 4140 grams, born at 26 minutes past midnight.

New mum Natalia Foster, 29, from Tennant Creek with her daughter, Elzina Ellis, who was born on New Year's Day at Alice Springs Hospital. Picture: Supplied.

The ASH maternity delivers services to women across one million square kilometres of central desert county, from Elliott in the north, Lake Nash in the east, Oodnadatta in the south and Kiwirrkurra in the west.

For the ASH maternity ward, the New Year period is the “busiest time of the year” with the highest birthrate recorded from January to February.

As a result, the team “works around the clock to ensure 24-hour maternity services” during this time, said NT Health Midwifery Education Research coordinator Jane Napier.

“It’s a busy time that highlights the commitment and passion of our staff, who pull together with a happy disposition and work hard as a cohesive team to provide kind, safe and responsive care for our women, babies and families,” she said.

“Many of our staff work overtime and take on extra shifts to cover the festive period, when both staff and patients are away from their families, with many women giving birth hundreds of kilometres away from their country.”

The ASH maternity team delivers services to women across a million square kilometres of central desert country. Picture: Supplied

In Darwin, Liam (Phuc Khang) Ngo was the first 2024 baby to be born at the Darwin Private Hospital at 12:08pm.

The first day of 2024 also saw another six babies born at NT Health hospitals, including three babies delivered at Royal Darwin Hospital, one baby delivered at Katherine District Hospital, and one baby delivered at Gove District Hospital, Nhulunbuy.