An induced labour on New Year's Day was perhaps not the beginning to the year the Shinde family had expected.
The addition of a healthy baby boy to their family, however, was a wonderful start to 2023.
Advit Shinde was born just after midday on January 1. He will share the special birthday with at least five babies born in Canberra that day.
The first child of Sadhana and Chetan Shinde, Advit was a healthy 3.2kg. Mrs Shinde said having a New Year's Day baby was special.
"The first of January is like a gift for us," she said.
Advit gave his parents a bit of a scare prior to meeting them. Mrs Shinde had to be induced after her waters broke days earlier and labour did not continue naturally.
His name was decided prior to his birth. The Casey couple chose a name that recognised their Hindu culture and was unlikely to be mispronounced in Australian schools.
Mrs Shinde's mother Shila Malusare had flown from India in December to lend a hand for the first few months.
They also have family on Mr Shinde's side who live in Canberra.
Mr Shinde said it had been a tense 48 hours prior to meeting his son.
He said the doctors and midwives at the Canberra Hospital had been by his wife's side the entire time.
"All of them just stayed constantly over here," he said.
"They never left. I really appreciate it and I'm really thankful."
Isabelle Tucker was also born in Canberra on January 1.
A daughter for Catia Ochi and Colin Tucker, Isabelle was delivered just after 4am on New Year's Day.
Ms Ochi had been due to give birth on January 3.
"She didn't want to wait for the third," Ms Ochi said.
"She wants to be famous and that's why she came on the first of January."
Ms Ochi said she'd known around midnight the baby was coming and they arrived at the hospital at 2.30am.
Isabelle was born 3.1kg at 4.01am.
"I didn't even have time to watch the fireworks," Ms Ochi said.
Isabelle is a little sister to Lucas, who was unsure what to make of his mum's growing stomach over the last nine months.
"When we tried to talk about the baby, he just always changed the subject," Ms Ochi said.
"He's very excited to see in person."
She said January 1 was a date no one would ever forget.
"I was not expecting it to be today, but it's very exciting," she said.
"It is a date that we can never forget. We can celebrate it every year."
Both new mums were doing well on Sunday and were looking forward to going home to start 2023 with their expanded families.
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