HAVING a baby is one of life’s big moments – and dads now have the chance to spend more time with their newborns thanks to an initiative being run at Basingstoke hospital.

Instead of having to go home every day, fathers can stay overnight at the maternity unit, giving them the chance to spend more precious time with their families.

The idea came from mums, who told staff that they would appreciate the support and help of their partners during the night.

New dad James Storey was delighted to have the opportunity to stay with his wife, Robyn, the night after their daughter Emelia was born.

“As a dad, you want to spend as much time as possible with your newborn child and it was nice to spend our first night together as a family,” he said.

“The staff were very good to me and extremely helpful. They asked me if I would like to stay and even managed to get me a reclining chair to help me rest.”

Robyn added: “It was really good to have James with me, and I’m not sure how I would have managed if he had not been here.

“Emelia kept us up most of the night, but it was really good to have James here to take over when I needed him to, even if it was just for five or 10 minutes. It’s also prepared us better for when we get home, when we will need to work well as a team to look after her.”

It was a similar story for Julia Bliss, who was grateful for the support of her fiancé, Max West, in the nights following the arrival of their daughter, Esmae.

“Esmae is my first baby and the birth was a bit traumatic, so it was good to have Max here with us,” she said.

“It was really comforting and meant that I didn’t need to ask the staff for help with every little thing.”

Fay Corder, maternity pathways manager at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Basingstoke hospital, said: “The response from patients has been very good. A lot of women in the maternity unit are young and healthy, so they may not have stayed in hospital before, which can be a bit daunting.

“If they have had a long labour, it can be reassuring to know that somebody they trust is looking after the baby while they get some much-needed rest. It doesn’t have to be the child’s dad or their partner either, it can be their mum or best friend instead.”