My wife told me to pull my car over – then gave birth – Bundlezy

My wife told me to pull my car over – then gave birth

Tony Donnelly ATT Jade Beecroft - I delivered my partner's baby in the family Peugeot
I was, holding my new baby girl, while my partner lay exhausted in the passenger seat having just given birth to her (Picture: Tony Donnelly)

‘Baby’s here!’ I exclaimed down the phone to the 999 call handler.

That wasn’t a sentence I was expecting to say to the emergency services, especially while crouching next to my car.

But there I was, holding my new baby girl, while my partner lay exhausted in the passenger seat having just given birth to her. 

It was February, and I had just delivered my own baby daughter Jessie, at the roadside. 

I guess, it was kind of expected – my partner Kelsey Clarke has a history of speedy deliveries, and this time there was no way we were making it to the hospital. 

Our eldest, Darci, was born on August 11, 2020 after a short five-hour labour, weighing 6lbs 12oz.

Tony Donnelly ATT Jade Beecroft - I delivered my partner's baby in the family Peugeot
After two kids, I didn’t even consider any more children (Picture: Tony Donnelly)

Four years later, in April 2024, we barely made it to hospital for our second, Jaxon.

The hospital’s an hour away from our rural home and it’s a brave wee drive – I’ll admit I had to put my foot down.

I sped into the car park, ran to get a wheelchair and managed to get Kelsey through the doors of the maternity unit just in time. 

Staff raced her to the labour ward and three minutes later Jaxon arrived, weighing 7lbs 1oz.  

After two kids, I didn’t even consider any more children. 

Tony Donnelly ATT Jade Beecroft - I delivered my partner's baby in the family Peugeot
We were expecting another baby (Picture: Tony Donnelly)

But, in July 2024, while standing on a forecourt in the middle of buying a Lexus, Kelsey phoned me asking a strange question: ‘What’s the backseat like?’

‘You know what it’s like, I showed you photos,’ I tutted.

‘How many car seats would fit in it?’ she replied. My mouth hung open as the penny dropped. 

We were expecting another baby.

I’ll admit it was a bit of a surprise – and I wondered how we’d cope with two babies under a year old.

I did buy the Lexus, but we decided to keep the old faithful family Peugeot too.

Tony Donnelly ATT Jade Beecroft - I delivered my partner's baby in the family Peugeot
I wondered how we’d cope with two babies under a year old (Picture: Tony Donnelly)

Fast forward eight months, and a week before her due date, Kelsey woke in the early hours of 25th February with cramps. 

After tossing and turning for a couple of hours, she decided to get up and check on Jaxon. I was still blissfully oblivious and fast asleep.

But as she went downstairs around 2.30am she felt a definite contraction

I woke up to my phone ringing. It was Kelsey – at first I didn’t understand why she was calling from the bed beside me. 

But turning over, I quickly realised Kelsey wasn’t next to me. I wasn’t too concerned because she often gets up to check on the kids, but I pottered downstairs to see where she was.

I found her sitting on the phone to the hospital. Not realising it was important, I went back to bed. I’m a pretty laid back guy so I figured she’d tell me if it was important.

Tony Donnelly ATT Jade Beecroft - I delivered my partner's baby in the family Peugeot
This was probably going to be the speediest delivery yet (Picture: Tony Donnelly)

While I was asleep in bed, she had confirmed with the midwife that she should go into hospital and she had already phoned her parents, who live over the road, to come and mind the kids. 

That’s when Kelsey came back into the bedroom: ‘Tony get up, we need to go to the hospital, baby’s coming!’ she shouted. 

Jumping out of bed, I rushed to get ready. I got an earful for tying my shoelaces too slowly, and – thinking of my upholstery in the Lexus – I grabbed the keys for the Peugeot. 

As Kelsey opened the passenger door there was a whoosh as her waters splashed onto our driveway. This was probably going to be the speediest delivery yet – I felt a pang of panic inside of me.

Tony Donnelly ATT Jade Beecroft - I delivered my partner's baby in the family Peugeot
There was no way we were making it to the hospital (Picture: Tony Donnelly)

We’d only been driving for a couple of minutes when she shouted that she needed to push and could feel the baby’s head. 

‘Should I pull over or keep going?’ I asked. 

‘Pull over!’ grunted Kelsey.  

There was no way we were making it to the hospital – we had only made it down to the main street of our village. 

I stopped in a roadside parking bay, dialed 999 on the car speaker, grabbed towels from the boot and rushed around to the passenger side

By the time I was squatting in front of Kelsey, our daughter’s head and shoulders were already in full view. 

Tony Donnelly ATT Jade Beecroft - I delivered my partner's baby in the family Peugeot
Kelsey (right) and I grinned at each other in relief as she began to squeal (Picture: Tony Donnelly)

Moments later, at 3.10am – 40 minutes since my partner’s first contractions – I caught our baby girl and wrapped her in a towel. I think Kelsey was in shock, and she asked me if the baby was okay.

At first she was too stunned to cry, so in the light of the footwell I rubbed her back and cleared the mucus out of her airway. 

Kelsey and I grinned at each other in relief as she began to squeal.

The 999 call handler assured us that an ambulance was on the way, so I switched on the heated seats to keep the girls warm and draped towels over the windows to give them some privacy. 

Then I called Kelsey’s mum and asked her to bring extra supplies. 

Tony Donnelly ATT Jade Beecroft - I delivered my partner's baby in the family Peugeot
We’d already picked out the name – Jessie (Picture: Tony Donnelly)

‘Oh my God!’ she gasped when she arrived and peered through the window – she was in complete shock, seemingly not having believed me at first.

For the next few minutes, every emotion was felt in that car. We laughed and cried and laughed again as we cuddled our little girl. 

We’d already picked out the name – Jessie. 

When the paramedics arrived, they cut the cord and took us to South West Acute Hospital, where midwives said I’d done a brilliant job. 

Kelsey and Jessie were doing so well that by 1pm we were home safe with our new arrival, weighing 8lbs. 

I couldn’t resist telling our friends and family about my exploits as an emergency midwife. 

‘All I need is a pack of those blue gloves from the hospital and I’d do it again,’ I joked, ‘I’m just glad it wasn’t the Lexus’

As told to Jade Beecroft.

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