The “perfect present” was delivered for one Suffolk couple when first-time dad Adam Randall delivered his baby daughter at home.
With labour starting at just a few minutes past midnight on the morning of Christmas Day, Brandon couple Kimanya Barnes and Adam quickly realised they had no time to make it to hospital.
About an hour later, with the help of an ambulance controller on the other end of the phone, Adam had delivered his “beautiful” and healthy daughter Emily. Weighing in at 6lb 7oz, Emily has made recently engaged Adam and Kimanya “incredibly proud” parents.
“She was due on Boxing Day,” said Kimanya, 30. “So we knew there was a chance she would come on Christmas Day. In fact I thought she might come earlier.
“I have three boys from a previous relationship and my third labour happened so quickly she was born in the hospital car park.”
The couple were woken up at around 12.05am on Christmas Day, with Kimanya feeling uncomfortable. Then the contractions started.
“By the time Adam had phoned the labour unit at West Suffolk Hospital, the contractions had become even faster. We knew we weren’t going to make to the hospital so he phoned the ambulance.”
Adam was talked through the delivery by the ambulance service and 15 minutes later at about 1am Emily saw her first Christmas with mum and dad.
“I am very proud of Adam,” added Kimanya. “You couldn’t ask for a better Christmas present.”
Kimanya, whose sons are aged 10, nine and five, said having her first daughter was “extra special”.
“She has made us so happy,” she added. “Obviously when it happened it took us a bit by surprise, but I am incredibly proud to have a beautiful healthy baby girl.”
Adam, who works in Ipswich, was modest about his role in “delivering” the baby. “I was there to catch her and wipe her with a towel at least” said the 22-year-old traffic management compliance officer.
“It has been quite a day. We were ready to go but Kimanya realised we wouldn’t have any time. If we had tried to go to hospital she would have been giving birth at the side of the road.
“Both mum and baby are very healthy and doing really well – I am so proud. It is my first child, so I didn’t really know what to do, they (the ambulance service) talked me through it.”
Emily has already been “spoilt” by the couple’s family, with plenty of Christmas presents to keep her happy and now the couple are looking forward to getting married later in the New Year.
“We got engaged in September,” Adam added. “We haven’t started the wedding planning yet – we thought it was best to concentrate on the baby first.”
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