When Jade Brown, 24, went into labour at home, she just had her partner Rhys Darby to help.
The problem was Rhys, 28, had to do everything with one hand as he’d broken his thumb and the other one was in a cast.
It was the middle of the night and Jade’s labour progressed quickly, so although an ambulance was on the way, it was Rhys who had to deliver baby Ariana, now seven months, with his cast-free hand.
Paramedics arrived minutes later at their home in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear and Rhys quipped ‘I’ve done your job for you’.
They then cut the cord and took mum and baby to hospital.
Rhys said: ‘I had the cast on one hand and a phone in the other – trying to deliver a baby!
‘I was running around trying to find towels while the woman on the line was trying to give me instructions.
‘I bent down and stuck my hand out and the baby just came out.
‘It’s funny – Jade was adamant in the run-up that she didn’t want me near the business area during the birth.
Jade says that despite her reservations, she was glad that Rhys was involved in the birth.
She said: ‘I am so proud of him for delivering her – especially with a cast on his arm.
‘He was amazing during and after the birth and he’s an amazing dad to Ariana.’
Rhys broke his thumb when he fell backwards playing five-a-side football and his arm was put into a bright blue plaster cast from his knuckles to the middle of his forearm for eight weeks.
Jade’s waters broke a week later on June 19, but when they went to hospital, they said she wasn’t dilated enough and sent her home.
Rhys added: ‘We were told to come back the next afternoon if nothing happened and they would start her off, so we went home.
‘Jade tried to get some sleep, but by 2 am the pain was overwhelming.’
Jade added: ‘I was trying to just breathe through them but they were getting more intense so I went downstairs and sat with Rhys.
‘I was squeezing his hand every time I got a contraction but as time went on I couldn’t cope with the pain and told Rhys we needed to go to the hospital.’
At first, they called a taxi but when they realised things were moving quickly, they called for an ambulance, but Jade gave birth to Ariana arrived before paramedics could get there.
‘After a few pushes, our baby girl Ariana was born on the settee, said Jade.
‘I remember lying with her on my chest and I couldn’t believe how quick it all happened.’
Ariana’s official time of birth was 4:23 am.
Rhys said: ‘Jade had no pain relief apart from a couple of paracetamol and some gas and air in the ambulance.
‘I had wanted to do the honour of cutting the umbilical cord but the paramedics said I shouldn’t, because of the situation.
‘Apparently, we were quite lucky. Lots of stuff could have gone wrong.’
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