Dylan Kirby and Alice Hawker’s daughter made her arrival at 2.30am. She is the couple’s first baby.
Ms Hawker said their bundle of joy held on to make her arrival date extra special.
"I think we resigned ourselves to the Christmas birthday at some point on Christmas Eve."
Their daughter, who still does not have a name, was healthy and had spent the entire day sleeping.
"We’re toying with names. I want her to be a little bit more awake so we can get a gauge of what will suit her."
The baby had spent almost all the time fast asleep, and they hoped to see a little bit of their daughter’s personality when she was awake to help give her a name.
The couple and their new baby had not received many visitors, with Mr Kirby’s parents in England and Ms Hawker’s parents at home in Oamaru with Covid.
Ms Hawker said her brother was in Dunedin and had visited.
The fact that none of their own parents could be there was not too scary, she said.
"Well, our understanding was that when the baby was being delivered there would be this sort of team of doctors surrounding the bed, like on tv, but in the end it was just us and a midwife.
"I did think it was awful at some points, but then the drugs kicked."
Spending Christmas in the Queen Mary Maternity Centre at Dunedin Hospital meant Ms Hawker got mince pies and a Christmas dinner, but Mr Kirby missed out.
The couple were not put out at all by the lack of a traditional Christmas present, as they ended 2023 with the "best Christmas present ever".
