Hero husband delivers baby in the CAR after hospital sends them home

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by Emma Dodds |
Published on

Tom and Lisa Dudman were sent home from the hospital after Lisa began to have contractions - and got stuck in TRAFFIC.

Most dads get a pat on the back if they just hold their partner's hand whilst she in the middle of giving birth to their child.

But Tom Dudman, 26, got more involved than most after his wife Lisa, 23, went into labour - in the middle of a traffic jam.

After Lisa, began to experience contractions, they did what any normal person would do and rushed to hospital.

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Baby Ella Rose was born off the A30 (Credit: SWNS) ©SWNS

The family, from Cornwall, who already have two children - Millie-Jayne, five and two-year-old Harley-Pace - went to Penrice Hospital after Lisa's waters broke at 11pm and she started having contractions at 4am.

Hospital staff confirmed that everything was all happening, but they turned them away and sent them back home until thing had progressed further.

But by 4pm, Tom had decided enough was enough, and drove them all to hospital.

Unfortunately for them, it was the EXACT moment that seemingly the entirety of Cornwall decided to take to the A30 - and they got stuck in the holiday traffic.

WATCH: I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant Until I Gave Birth - This Morning

After nearly two hours stuck in gridlock, Lisa had to tell Tom to pull over. The baby was coming.

Tom explained: "The traffic was getting bad along the A30 as we were driving along and then Lisa said, 'This is it, the baby is coming'.

"I said, 'Try to hold on', because we were nearly there.

"But as we were going through Shortlanesend trying to cut through the traffic, she told me to pull over.

Tom rang the emergency services, who gave him instructions on how to deliver his daughter over the phone - even tying a shoelace around the umbilical cord.

He said: "I immediately called 999 and they talked me through it and what I needed to do and I delivered her right there in the car."

Despite the paramedics turning up only 10 minutes after Tom's call, the baby came before they could arrive: "Ella Rose was delivered in the front seat, we didn't have time to do anything.

"I had to get Lisa's trousers off and try to get her in a better position, then three contractions later, she was here. It was so quick.

"They thought she would still be pushing, they were shocked when they arrived. I was sat there with a shoelace still on the phone to 999, they told me I needed to tie it around the umbilical cord."

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Tom delivered his youngest child himself (Credit: SWNS) ©SWNS

Tom said that it was unlike any other feeling: "It was a big shock, I was scared, but just over the moon really.

"We have two other children, being in the delivery room and watching your child being born is amazing, but delivering your own baby is just a whole other feeling."

Tom added: "I think if the traffic on the A30 wasn't as bad, I think we would have made it. I tried to turn off to take the short cut but we had been stuck in traffic so long it was too late.

"The baby was born at 5.48pm, Lisa and Ella-Rose were then taken into hospital and we were out again by 10pm. Lisa is fine, she did really well, she's amazing. It was all quite a shock, but it makes a good story."

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Two-year-old Harley-Pace adores his new baby sister (Credit: SWNS) ©SWNS

It sure does!

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