Hospital delivers 71 bundles of joy

SEVENTY-ONE babies were born between Christmas and Boxing Day at the Port Moresby General Hospital labour ward.
The hospital said of the 32 babies born on Christmas Day, 14 were boys and 18 were girls. From the 32, two were caesarean births and the rest natural births.
On Boxing Day, 39 babies were born and of these, 21 were boys and 18 were girls.
From the 39, four babies were Caesarean.
Senior midwife Sr Wanis Koral, who worked during the night shift on Boxing Day, said a common problem faced by mothers was postpartum haemorrhage, which is considerable bleeding after delivery.
Sr Koral urged those families to consider family planning options.
Meanwhile, Morin and Jacob Don, a young couple who welcomed their first child, said they were elated that their child was a Christmas baby.
So far, by 11am yesterday, about 942 babies were recorded to have been born in December.
Eastern Highlands recorded two babies at its Goroka Provincial Hospital on Christmas Day.
Martina Hagoya, from Hela, was proud to have delivered her 2.77kg son on Christmas Day at Goroka Provincial Hospital.
The mother of three lives with her family in Goroka.