Parents across Scotland celebrate the precious gift of a Christmas baby

Scotland’s Christmas babies have lit up the worlds of their parents as hospitals across the country welcome the very festive little arrivals.

Families in Scotland have received the best possible gift of a baby this Christmas.

In Aberdeen, two new parents had to skip a family Christmas celebration to bring their daughter into the world.

Maja Shearer, 27, and Jason Shearer, 28, made a dash for Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on Christmas Eve as little Eliza sought to make an appearance a few days before she was due.

Baby Lexi, pictured here with her mother Marissa McLean, 31, was the first baby born on Christmas Day at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. The little girl arrived at 12.59am and weighed 7lb 8oz.

The change in plans, Jason said, meant Maja’s parents – who were visiting from Poland – had to host the traditional Christmas Eve celebration without the expectant parents in their home.

“Maja’s Polish, so we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve and British Christmas on Christmas Day and Maja’s folks are over just now so they had to host Christmas dinner without us last night because we’re here, and they’ll probably get a nice Christmas dinner again today,” said Jason, a planner in the oil and gas industry.

Asked what he was doing when Maja went into labour, Jason said: “Sleeping – it was 5.30am. She woke me up at 5.30am, it was all quick, then it was quite slow – 5.30am yesterday morning, in here at 7am then we were here the whole day.”

Eliza could well be the first Christmas baby in Scotland this year, arriving at 12.18am and weighing seven-and-a-half pounds.

Jason – from Aberdeen – said it was “touch and go” whether she would be born before or after midnight.

The new father also extended his gratitude to the midwifery staff at the hospital, who he said had been “absolutely amazing”.

Lauren Haddock and Jordan Hamill welcomed their son Finley at 12.33 am at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

The new arrival – his parents’ first born – weighed in at 7lb 8oz.

Meanwhile, at just 12.59am on Christmas Day, little baby Lexi was born to mum Marissa McLean, 31, and Kevin Lothian, 33, from Edinburgh.

Born 7lb 8oz, Lexi arrived at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

At 1.24am, Ashleigh Gillon and Dean Halup welcomed their baby boy at Forth Valley Hospital, weighing 7lb 6oz.

The pair, from Clackmannanshire, are still deciding on a name.

In St John’s Hospital in Livingston, 35-year-old Claire Gray and her partner Kyle, 36, welcomed a baby girl.

The pair, from Bathgate, West Lothian, are still deciding on a name for the little one, who was born just after 7am and weighed eight and a half pounds.

Meanwhile, television star and dancer Oti Mabuse has announced she has given birth to her first child.

The Dancing On Ice judge, 33 – who previously starred as a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing – earlier shared that her and husband Marius Lepure had difficulties conceiving.

In a Christmas Day Instagram post, Mabuse posted a picture of the couple and their new baby and wrote: “Merry Christmas. Wishing you all a wonderful festive season and special memories with loved ones.”