Dad Nathan Freund had indulged in a couple of drinks and couldn’t risk driving, leaving mum Karen Mumford to transport them all from Narrandera to Wagga before having an emergency caesarean under a general anaesthetic at 6.19am.

“I woke up, and there she was. It was a shock, as I was booked in for a Friday caesar,” Ms Mumford said.

Mr Freund is expecting a ribbing from mates after being unable to drive, but is already taken by perfect Isabella.

“She’s got more hair than me already,” Mr Freund said.

Arriving just 20 minutes later at Wagga Rural Referral Hospital was baby Ivy Rose, who is mum Samantha Keevers’ ninth child, and sixth daughter.

Temora Hospital has the New Year’s line honours with Lilly Bickham born at 2.19am to proud parents Carly and Ben Bickham, followed by Griffith with another girl at 5.57am to the Rani family.

Baby Isabella and Baby Ivy at Wagga have given the Riverina a distinctly pink start to 2018. 

Registered Midwife Corrin McPherson said the last 12 months the staff has seen a significant increase in babies born at Wagga Rural Referral Hospital.

“We had an estimated birth rate of about 800 babies a year, but since we’ve moved to the new hospital in 2017 we’ve had 1074 babies,” Ms McPherson said.

“It’s a nice new facility. We offer a range of different services like the pregnancy care clinic and some private obstetricians as well which allows women to have a lot more choice, and it is a very nice place to have a baby.”