mmg.com.au

Echuca had its very own baby boom over the weekend, with eight babies born at Echuca hospital between Friday night and Monday afternoon.

Midwives and doctors were run off their feet as they raced to keep up with the influx of babies, with many working double or extra shifts on a weekend that, at one stage, saw four women in labour at the same time.

Registered midwife Kim McGregor said it was a busy time with what she called an ‘‘unusual’’ number of births.

‘‘It just kept coming and coming and coming,’’ she said.

‘‘At the time it was exhausting, but when you come out at the end, it’s nice.’’

The boom started on Friday night, with the first of the babies, Milla Stone, born to parents Holly Bruce and Brad Stone at 8.20pm.

She was followed six hours later, with the birth of Xander Eldridge — son of Katie and Luke Eldridge — at 2.20am.

Staff then had a break of about 12 hours before the arrival of the next baby, with Zaxon Priestley born to Tahlia Priestley at 2.36pm on Saturday.

He was followed shortly after by William Andrew, son of Shannon and Justin Andrew, at 4.47pm.

Just over an hour later, Lily Vertigan entered the world, born to parents Olivia and Robert Vertigan at 5.54pm.

Delilah Lubke made her arrival at 7.44pm to parents Phoebe Patten and Aaron Lubke to round out Saturday’s births.

Amber Schmedje was the only birth on Sunday, born at 3.53am to parents Angela and Ronald Schmedje.

Olivia Mundie was the last of the babies, born at 1.12pm on Monday — about an hour before the Riverine Herald turned up to take the group photo of the babies — to parents Laura Ward and Adam Mundie.

When asked the question of what happened nine months ago to cause such a boom, the answers varied from wedding anniversary celebrations, to new dads’ birthdays, to questions of whether it was around Valentine’s Day.