TWO babies were born yesterday in South Trinidad on the 50th anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago's Independence.

The first baby, a girl who is yet to be named, was born at home in Moruga to parents Nazisa Hosein and Richard Beharry.

Hosein said the baby came around 3.20 a.m. before she had time to go to the hospital.

"I had a lot of contractions and within seconds, she came. So there were no preparations or no rush to the hospital. She was a month early," Hosein said. "I went to the hospital the day before and hours later, the baby came."

Beharry said: "She told me the baby was ready to come. I put her on the couch, and we could see the baby's head coming out. I held the child and she came out. We wrapped her in a cloth and tied the umbilical cord. When the paramedics came, they cut the cord."

Beharry said he felt very proud of his baby being born on Independence Day. "I just wish her good health, a good education and everything she wants," Beharry said.

Hosein said her wish for the nation was "for everyone to be proud to be Trinbagonians".

"We have a beautiful country and we need to be proud of it, no matter what," she said.

The second baby was born at the San Fernando General Hospital to Hetty Ann Pyara, 21, of Penal Rock Road, Penal. Pyara said she had anticipated her baby would come on Independence Day.

"We planned for it," said Pyara, who has been married for a year to Jason Ramnarine.

"As it was 50 years of Independence, we wanted to celebrate big as well. We wanted it to be a momentous occasion for our first baby to be born," said Pyara.

She named the baby "Matthiaus", which she said meant "a gift from God".

Ramnarine joked: "My child will have fireworks every year for his birthday."

He said his wish for Trinidad and Tobago was unity. "Everybody has a part to play and they should carry it out," he said.