It is the second year that the charity has provided Christmas presents to all women due to give birth at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital over the festive season.
It replaces its New Year’s Baby gift tradition, which ran for many years prior.
‘It’s a wonderful idea,’ said Shelley Blake, lead midwife on the Loveridge Ward.
‘Nobody wants to be in hospital on Christmas Day, so this is a really meaningful gift to say “we’re here and we’re looking after you”. We had great feedback from last year. People were really touched by the simple gesture of kindness. December’s been really busy for us this year – we were up to 29 births by the middle of the month and we tend to average 30 over a whole month.’
This year, Denise Bennett has specially prepared 10 gift bags for the nine babies who are due between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.
They each contain a Lions Club teddy, a bath set, spa slippers, a manicure kit, a £20 gift voucher for Creasey’s and a Christmas baby blanket and hat which have been hand-knitted by two local women, Odile Davy and Mary Bartie, who regularly knit items for the ward. They also include a Christmas card.
Mrs Bennett said she wanted to cover all bases, and ensure that both the newborns and their mums were treated.
‘I would say the bags are worth about £50 each,’ she said.
‘I had fun assembling them. I asked the ladies in the shop “if you had just had a baby, would you like this?” because I thought “why not give the new mothers a proper pamper?”’
Lions Club president John McLoughlin said the charity aims to continue this new tradition, to support new mothers and babies throughout the Christmas period.
‘It’s nice to give something back,’ he said.
‘And it’s more in that spirit of giving. To spread cheer to anybody over this festive time is great.’
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