Nineteen minutes into 2025, the first baby for more than 1,000 square miles was born at the Countess of Chester hospital.

Zara Parker-Lomax welcomed her third child, Amelia, in the early minutes of New Year's Day, with her partner Sam - and a maternity team she describes as "the heart of the unit" - by her side.

But the joyful arrival followed a journey shaped by loss.

Zara's first baby, Eli, was stillborn at 25 weeks and two days. In the aftermath, she turned to Chester Miscarriage Support Group, seeking a space free from judgement. The group later supported her through another pregnancy - one she found difficult to enjoy.

Theo turns six next month and is already stepping up to the role of big brother (Image via: Zara Parker-Lomax)

"You can't enjoy a pregnancy after losing a baby really, it's sort of tainted in a way," she told Chester Nub News.

"You know, you love those moments where you're in a scan because you can see that everything is fine. But then as soon as the scan is over, you're back to being petrified that something is going to happen."

In February 2019, Zara gave birth to her son, Theo, now six.

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"With Theo, I was petrified," she said. "You carry that worry the whole time, right up until you hear them cry."

The mother of three had Eli's teddy bear with her during her daughter's birth (Image via: Zara Parker-Lomax)

When Zara became pregnant again, she was offered additional monitoring throughout. However, complications arose when she developed pre-eclampsia - bringing back memories of her first pregnancy.

As a result, she was brought in early for an induction. Just over an hour later, Amelia was born.

Because she was the only patient on the ward at the time, Zara said the full attention of the maternity team made the experience even more special.

"They were all in there, asking how they could help," she said. "Seeing them come together as a team was just a beautiful thing to see."

Zara delivered her third baby in just over an hour (Image via: Zara Parker-Lomax)

"There was a lot of love in that room. Angels don't just have wings - they wear nurse's uniforms.

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Zara also had a personal reminder of her first child with her during the birth.

"I had Eli's teddy with me," she said. "So I had his support too."

She describes Eli as a "guardian angel" watching over her family, and says his memory continues to shape her outlook.

"I don't want Eli looking down and thinking that he has broken me," Zara added. "He was the one that made me a mum and I want him to be proud of me."