THE Grange Birth Centre welcomed two Christmas baby boys, who were born over the festive season.
Rachel Butcher, a senior midwife at The Grange since 2002, gave birth to Alfie George, who weighed 7lb 7oz, on Christmas Eve at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester before being immediately transferred to the Swan Street birthing centre for post-natal care.
Mrs Butcher said: "I wanted to have my baby at The Grange since I have worked here for six years as a midwife, but due to my previous history of a stillbirth 18 months ago, I had to go to St Richard's, which has a consultant unit and extended facilities, for the birth. But I had already booked myself in here (The Grange) for the post-natal care, which is the best in the area at The Grange."
New mum Kerry Connor delivered her first baby, Elliott Gabriel, who weighed 8lb 7oz, at St Mary's Hospital in Portsmouth on Christmas Day, as she had a suspected breach and may have needed an emergency Caesarian section.
She said: "Luckily, I had Lillie Madden, one of the midwives at The Grange, at my birth and all I needed in the end was gas and air, which meant that I could come to The Grange straight after the birth, where I would have wanted to be with my baby anyway."
The Grange Birth Centre, which reopened last year after a two-year campaign to keep it going, can accommodate up to six mums and babies and attracts bookings from a wide area around Petersfield, reaching as far as Portsmouth and London.