Meet The National Day 2026 Babies — 2 Arrived Right At Midnight

For most Singaporeans, National Day brings familiar scenes of the National Day Parade, fluttering flags, family gatherings, and an evening sky lit by fireworks. But for several parents, Aug 9, 2026 will always mean something even more unforgettable: the moment they first held their newborn. 

Scroll on to meet the National Day babies who began life on a day of nationwide celebration. Congrats!

SG61 Baby Maia: Born at the stroke of midnight (12.00am)

Former Kiss92FM deejay and television presenter Charmaine Yee, 39, and her husband, tech entrepreneur Camilo Paredes, 41, welcomed their second daughter, Maia, at the stroke of midnight on Aug 9, 2026, at Thomson Medical. Delivered via elective caesarean section, Maia weighed 3.04kg and measured 50cm at birth. She joins big sister Mila, who is three.

Charmaine’s estimated delivery date fell between Aug 11 and 13, but she began having contractions about a week earlier. “We thought, ‘We’re going to miss the ninth.’ I thought this girl was going to arrive earlier, but she hung in there,” she says.

Even on the day of her delivery, Charmaine was out running errands along Orchard Road and making a bank visit. “People who recognised me were asking, ‘What are you doing?’ And I was saying, ‘I’m due tonight!’”

When an elective delivery became possible, Charmaine was clear about the date she wanted. Camilo had suggested Aug 8 — “Isn’t 8-8 more auspicious?” — but Charmaine had another view. “No, 9-8. I’m Singaporean. She’s Singaporean,” she says. “I think Aug 9 carries a lot more meaning, and that’s why we went with it.”

The birth itself, she says, was calm and seamless. “Everything was prepared, and the whole operating theatre was so calm. Before you knew it, everyone was there to capture her first cry.”

Maia’s name was chosen as it means “brave and confident”. “We hope to raise resilient children,” Charmaine shares. “Camilo is Colombian, and I’m Chinese Singaporean, so the name had to work in English, Mandarin and Spanish.”

She jokes, “Some people do National Service; I have a National Day baby and hope to reverse the low TFR!” More earnestly, she adds: “Happy Birthday to Singapore and happy birthday to Maia. I’m proud to be Singaporean, and I’ve always wanted to host National Day — this is the closest to contributing to our nation on this day, and it’s pretty special.”

Read how Charmaine conceived her second child following a “sure-win” tip from her gynae!

SG61 Baby Freya: A midnight baby who arrived earlier than expected (12.00am)

At the very same time, little Freya Liao made her entrance at Parkway East Hospital to herald National Day. Born at exactly 12am on Aug 9, 2026, the 2.785kg baby girl arrived more than two weeks ahead of her Aug 25 due date.

Her mum, Gladys Cheong, 34, had been 3cm dilated a few days earlier and had noticed her mucus plug had discharged. When mild contractions began, she called her doctor and was advised to head to hospital.

Gladys was given medication, which took time to take effect. By the time Freya was ready to arrive, it was already past 11pm. “When I managed to push her out, it was exactly midnight,” she shares.

Freya is the second child of Gladys and her husband, Dehui, joining older sister Elvy, who’s four. The pregnancy was planned, though the timing of Freya’s early arrival came as a surprise.

Her name was picked for its strength. “Freya is a strong name for a strong baby,” says Gladys. As for their hopes for their newest family member, her parents wish that she “grows up with the same spirit as the country she was born into — steady and not easily discouraged” — while staying healthy and happy.

SG61 Baby Esther: A speedy arrival after a bumpy cab ride (12.08am)

Hanna Yuet Mei Chandar, 32, and Emmanuel Rajan, 40, welcomed their third daughter, Esther Havilah Rajan, just eight minutes into National Day at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH).

Baby Esther had been due on Aug 25, but she had other plans. Hanna first noticed contractions on the evening of Aug 8, though she initially brushed them off as Braxton Hicks and carried on with an event she had planned that night.

“I just bore with it the entire evening,” recalls Hanna, who had never experienced natural contractions before. Her two older daughters — Elizabeth Myrrh Rajan, four, and Deborah Kavod Rajan, two — were both induced.

But when Hanna tried to get some sleep, the contractions kept coming and grew steadily stronger, until it reached the point that she “couldn’t talk”. 

“I thought, ‘Oh, the breathing’s getting harder. Maybe it’s not Braxton Hicks — maybe it’s real now!’” she says.

At around 10pm, going on 11pm, Hanna and Emmanuel got into a cab for the hospital. By then, the journey had become a memorable one. “The ride was really bumpy and I was screaming,” she says. “When we reached the hospital, I felt the urge to push.”

Things moved quickly from there. By the time Hanna was settled onto the bed, the medical team could already see baby Esther’s head. Two pushes later, their National Day girl had arrived.

SG61 Baby A.K.: A National Day baby who arrived exactly on her due date (1.04am)

Just over an hour into National Day, Nur Atika Binte Osman, 33, and Muhammad Khairul Arifin Bin Khairudin, 33, welcomed their second daughter at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH). Born at 1.04am on August 9, 2026 — also her estimated due date — their baby weighed 3.5kg.

The couple have yet to settle on a name, but they know it will carry the initials A.K. Their newborn joins a five-year-old big sister.

For Atika, the pregnancy came as a surprise. While the family was travelling in Malaysia, she suddenly began feeling unwell. A pregnancy test soon revealed the unexpected news that they were expecting another child.

The delivery, however, was a much smoother experience the second time around. “It was also very fast,” Atika says. “I started pushing around 12am, and she was out by 1.04am.”

As the family gets to know its newest member, Atika has a simple wish for her daughter: “I hope the baby will be strong and independent, and make Singapore proud!”

SG61 Baby Isobel: A memorable beginning for first-time parents (3.03am)

At 3.03 am on Aug 9, 2026, Thomson Medical welcomed its second National Day baby — a girl born to first-time parents Iona Mhairi Meehan, 28, and Liang Junyuan, 30.

Weighing 3.51kg and measuring 51cm, the little one was delivered naturally by Dr Tan Shu Qi, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and Accredited IVF Specialist at Thomson Fertility.

Her mum, Iona, is a primary school teacher and Singapore permanent resident who was born in Britain. Dad Junyuan is a Singaporean veterinarian. For the new parents, their baby’s arrival marks an especially memorable first National Day as a family of three.

SPH is a principal partner of National Day 2026.