Proud mum Daniella Waring gave birth to a baby girl on the side of the road after heavy snow meant she was unable to get into hospital in time
When Daniella, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, went into labour at home on 1 March, she and her husband Andrew set off in the car for Darlington Memorial Hospital. But the area had been heavily hit by snow, making driving difficult.
Daniella was pregnant with her third child, so she and Andrew would have known the importance of being prepared for all eventualities and leaving plenty of time to get to hospital. But they hadn’t counted on just how bad the snowy conditions would be.
I just copied what I had seen at the birth of our other two children
As they travelled along the A66, it became clear that they weren’t going to make it in time. Pulling over at the side of the road, Andrew realised he was going to have to deliver the baby himself.
Despite a roadside delivery certainly not being part of the plan, Andrew drew from his experience of watching his wife in labour. Luckily, he had picked up a few tips on what he might expect!
He said: ‘The weather was very bad and I struggled to find somewhere to pull over and barely had time to ring 999 before the baby started coming.
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‘Having been present at the birth of our other two children, I just copied what I had seen then. I opened the passenger door and knelt in the snow to deliver the baby.’
Sienna Louisa Dottie Waring arrived safely, weighing 10lbs 1oz. She was followed soon after by a Great North Air Ambulance crew who had been travelling by car, as conditions were too hazardous to fly. They in turn helped paramedics from the North East Ambulance service find Daniella and her baby.
Daniella finally made it to hospital, where she and Sienna were monitored and found to be doing well – despite the unconventional circumstances of her birth!
