As first time parents, Daniel and Sue Hardinges wanted everything to be perfect on the day that they are to give birth. So when Sue’s water broke at 4AM, they rang their hospital to seek advice.
Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in Action, where Sue was to give birth, told the couple to stay home and wait until 9AM.
But Sue’s contractions were only three minutes apart from the moment they woke up.
Read: The stages of labor
15 minutes later, convinced that what was happening wasn’t normal, the couple decided to drive to the hospital.
“My wife said she could feel something between her legs, so I had a look and couldn't really see anything at the time,” said Daniel. "I sort of saw something but didn't realize at the time it was part of the head.”
They were about to head out the door when Sue had another contraction, saying she definitely felt something down there.
“I pulled her trousers down and there was a baby's face looking at me up to her nose.”
Winging it
Daniel recalled the “sheer horror” of seeing half the baby's head poking out but then just “got on with it”.
Sue gave birth hunched over their bathroom sink, a position they were stuck with for a few more minutes, with the umbilical cord still attached, before the paramedics and a midwife arrived.
When helped arrived, Daniel was on his knees holding the baby, wrapped up, and my wife was still bent over the sink not able to move.
READ: Giving birth at home
The whole took two hours 20 minutes in total, but from Sue feeling something in between her legs to the baby actually being delivered, took less than five minutes.
“Everybody who came in—the paramedics and the midwife—just couldn't believe it. Normally with a first baby you're in for a long, grueling labor but this was a super quick and with no pain relief at all.”
The new parents have given birth to a healthy, seven pound baby named Sophie.
“We were able to stay at home rather than being on a ward where I wouldn't have got any sleep," said Sue. “The next day we rested in peace and quiet and our family could come and go.
"Everything's fine and we're happy and healthy.”
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