Joy overflows as newborns welcome first moments of 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City

In the final hours of 2025, the maternity department at Tu Du Hospital was filled with a heightened sense of urgency and anticipation.

During the New Year’s Eve shift, around 40 medical staff members were on duty, handling 60-70 deliveries, including 30-40 cesarean sections.

Within the first 30 minutes of 2026 alone, six babies were born, including four via natural delivery and two by cesarean section.

Among them were two girls and four boys.

All are healthy now.

At exactly midnight on January 1, Nguyen Thi Phung Nhi, a 28-year-old resident of Ho Chi Minh City, gave birth to her first child, a baby boy.

The family named him Nguyen Phuc Thinh, expressing their hope that he will enjoy a life filled with happiness and prosperity.

Her husband, Nguyen Binh An Hung, said the family had not expected their son to be born at the exact moment of the New Year.

Their only wish had been for a safe delivery.

“Seeing both mother and baby healthy is already the greatest joy,” he said.

“That our son was born right at the New Year transition makes it even more special."

In a neighboring delivery room, another first-time mother, Le Thi Quynh Nhu, 32, also gave birth smoothly at the stroke of midnight, assisted by Dr. Ho Thi Phuong.

“The family is overjoyed to welcome their first child, and I am especially happy to help deliver the baby safely,” Dr. Phuong said.

“It feels like a positive sign for a smooth and fortunate year ahead."

Fifteen minutes after midnight, another baby boy was born to Bui Thi May, 32, following a difficult labor.

Thanks to close monitoring and timely intervention by the medical team, the delivery was completed safely.

Her husband, Truong Cong Ly, recalled the intense anxiety he felt.

“When I saw my son born safely and my wife out of danger, there was no greater happiness,” he said.

Dr. Vuong Dinh Bao Anh, deputy director of Tu Du Hospital, said every birth represents not only the happiness of a family but also a shared joy among the hospital’s medical staff.

Organizing the welcoming of newborns at the New Year transition is a meaningful tradition that reinforces the mission, pride, and sense of fulfillment of healthcare workers.

Dr. Anh expressed his hopes for the generation born at this symbolic moment, describing their first cries at midnight as a pure sign of life and a promising beginning.

“Those first cries are also a source of joy and motivation for our doctors and nurses to continue striving to do their work better,” he said.