DRESSED in his Father Christmas outfit, little Archie Egerton is sleeping through his first day at Southampton General Hospital.

He is one of 15 little bundles of joy who entered the world on Christmas Day at the Coxford Road maternity unit while two more were born at home.

Delighted mums across the city were cradling their newborn sons and daughters after a day of jubilation.

Initially due on December 19, Archie entered the world at 10.50am on Christmas morning Eva’s first child, Archie was born at 8lb 15oz after many days of nervous anticipation for the rest of the family.

“When we missed the 19th we just knew it was going to be Christmas Day. It sounds obvious but it really didn’t matter what day in the end,” said Eva, from Bitterne.

Husband Chris said: “People were on tenterhooks during Christmas morning.

They were all worried. As soon as they got the call that everything was all right it just made everyone’s Christmas so much better.” And the 31-year-old parents hope their son will end up playing for a certain Premiership side sometime in the future.

Eva said: “He’s a good, strong weight, he’s a healthy boy. His grandfather is a scout for Chelsea. If he goes to Chelsea, fair enough.”

“I hope he plays for Saints,” added the Southampton-supporting dad, who had already bought Archie a Saints kit.

Among the other children who were born on the day was Caiden John Harris, whose mother Rebecca opted to have her second child in her Townhill Park home.

Caiden was born at 7lb 13oz and arrived at 8.19am.

Although he wasn’t the earliest born in Southampton on the day, he was too early for his four-year-old brother Max.

“We aimed to have him in the water but he came quicker than we could fill the pool so he was born on the floor in the end.

“Max slept through it all and came down 15 minutes later. I’m over the moon with joy,” said 27-year-old Rebecca.

With 17 babies born on Christmas Day, senior midwifery manager at Southampton General Hospital, Eileen Brosnan said it was one of the highest numbers they had had for that day.

“Despite how busy the unit was, it was the women and their families who made the day for our staff. There was a great atmosphere here,” she said.