Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed a son this morning (Wednesday 29 April) when partner Carrie gave birth at a London hospital – as elsewhere new parents Baksho Rani and Krishan Lal were welcoming their own bundle of joy.

Julia was born just before 7am, less than an hour after Baksho and Krishan arrived at Queen’s Hospital.

First-time mum Baksho was understandably scared, however, said our staff were reassuring from the minute she arrived.

She said: “I’d seen my midwife yesterday and was due to have a scan this morning, my cab was booked and everything. But I woke up at 1.30am in the morning with pain. It started slowly so I didn’t go straight to hospital. Then my waters broke and my friend, who lives with us, said I needed to go to hospital.

“We came at around 6am. I was scared, however, the staff were brilliant. I was brought to a bed straight away and the midwife told me the baby was coming as she could see the head, then two minutes later Julia was born!”

The couple, of Hunter Road, Ilford, found out Julia had arrived around the same time as the PM’s baby, and said it made their own arrival seem even more special.

Baksho, 39, added: “When they put her on my chest after she was born it was amazing. I said to her, ‘I’ve been waiting a long time for you madam’. I was so happy to have a baby girl.

“We knew she would be a girl and had the name ready. It’s been very special and we’ve had such a good experience and the staff really went out of their way to reassure me all the way through.”

Some new mums may be anxious ahead of giving birth, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however, besides from our maternity staff wearing PPE, things aren’t that different for women in labour at our hospital.

Mums come to the same separate Maternity entrance, and are triaged in the same way. Birthing partners are also able to stay with them throughout the birth, Krishan, 41, only needed to leave when Baksho and Julia were moved from our Labour ward to the postnatal area.

Sue Lovell, our Director of Midwifery, said: “Congratulation to Baksho and Krishan on the birth of baby Julia, and it’s wonderful to hear they had such a positive experience with us.

“Our entire Maternity team is working extremely hard to continue to care for women throughout their pregnancy and birth and for the most part, their experience will be no different to normal. Of course we are taking extra precautions to keep them, and the staff caring for them, safe, which is why we are wearing PPE and have visiting restrictions in places throughout the department.”

Pictured above are Krishan and Baksho with baby Julia.