THREE local mothers had to forego their turkey dinners when their babies decided to make an entrance on Christmas Day.

Rachel Machin, Joanne Downing and Emma Stedwill gave birth to boys on Christmas Day afternoon.

Rachel went into labour at 7.30am at her home in St Ann's Chapel and just managed to finish her smoked salmon breakfast before dashing off to Okehampton Hospital where Cass was born at 2.15pm.

Due on December 20, it was Rachel's husband Steve, an RE teacher at Tavistock College, who predicted that the baby would be born on Christmas Day!

Rachel said: 'Steve's predictions normally come true but he did get the sex wrong this time — he was sure it was going to be a girl but I thought it was another boy.'

The couple have a two and a half year old son, Frankie, who is already calling his baby brother his best friend.

Rachel said she had chosen to have her baby at the maternity unit in Okehampton because she had heard wonderful things about it.

'A lot of my friends have had babies there as well and I have heard it is amazing,' she said. 'It lived up to my expectations and I had the water birth I wanted.

'It all happened pretty quickly and at one time I was worried I was going to give birth in the car but we made it to the hospital in time.

'My mum had come down from Yorkshire to cook Christmas dinner but we ended up having it on Boxing Day instead. I will remember eating sandwiches on Christmas Day and five pieces of Christmas cake, because after all that work I was starving.'

Cass weighed in at 8lb 11ozs and was up to 9lb 3ozs in just over a week. 'He's really healthy and happy and very chilled out,' said Rachel.

Smith Gabriel Downing is the third son of Joanne and Mark Downing, of Tavistock. He was 9lb 1oz and born at Derriford Hospital.

Mark, who is a chef at the Ordulph Arms in Tavistock, said his son was due on Boxing Day but was the first of his three boys to arrive early. Jake was eight and Nathan six.

He said: 'It takes a while to get used to having a baby in the house again.'

And also at Derriford, Emma Stedwill gave birth to a boy, Olly, who weighed in at 6lb 7ozs. Emma and partner Peter Ferguson live at Harrowbarrow.