Christmas Day baby boom

Atsuko Goto and Tamer Elnady with their newborn son Ramzy Elnady , born today at Tauranga Hospital 25 December 2015. Photo / Supplied

Christmas Day has seen a baby boom around the North Island, including the long-awaited birth of Atsuko Goto and Tamer Elnady's first child.

"It's the best Christmas ever," said Egyptian born Mr Elnady tonight, while his wife was feeding the couple's new son Ramzy at Tauranga Hospital.

"It's a wonderful thing."

Mr Elnady, who met his Japanese wife in New Zealand, said the couple had been hoping to start a family for several years, and were delighted at Ramzy birth at 8.33am today.

"We have been waiting for a long time to start our family," he said.

But despite being a while in the planning, Ramzy arrived about a week earlier than expected.

"It was a surprise, to be honest, but now we have a Christmas baby," said Mr Elnady, a registered architect.

Despite his early birth, Ramzy weighed in at a healthy 3.1 kilograms, and his parents hope we will grow up to learn at least three languages to reflect his ethnic mix.

He was one of three Christmas babies born at Tauranga Hospital, and of at least 12 reported to the Weekend Herald from around the North Island.

A Counties-Manukau District Health Board spokeswoman said "at least four babies" were born at Middlemore Hospital, the first at about 1am.

Whangarei Hospital reported two Christmas babies, while the Capital and Coast District Health Board claimed line honours for the earliest known birth of the day -- in Wellington at 12.13am.

Another early arrival was at Auckland City Hospital, at 12.31am, and the Waikato District Health board said its first Christmas baby was born at 2.24am at Thames.

Christmas births

• 12.13am -- Wellington

• 12.31am -- Auckland

• About 1am -- Middlemore

• 2.24am -- Thames

• 8.33am -- Tauranga (Ramzy)

Plus at least seven others at Middlemore, Whangarei and Tauranga hospitals