Proud Dad delivers baby daughter on Collector Road

A proud dad was left holding the baby when he delivered his daughter on the side of the busy Collector Road!

Steve Sandford, from Chelmsley Wood, stepped in as emergency midwife to partner Joanne Winters, 39, after it became clear the family would not make it to Good Hope Hospital in time.

The 45-year-old pulled over into a lay-by and safely delivered baby Chloe on 27th June, as a 999 operator talked him through step-by-step.

Steve was in tears as he daughter arrived into his arms, and he wrapped her in a towel and lay her on Joanne’s chest.

Minutes later the paramedics arrived at the scene and congratulated the quick-thinking dad, and later took Joanne and Chloe to hospital.

“We phoned the hospital to tell them that Jo’s contractions were 10 minutes apart,” said Steve.

Then they suddenly got closer, and they told us to come in straight away.

“Jo’s waters broke in the car, and I was panicking and sweating.

“The lady on the phone was telling me to pull over- she could hear Jo’s screams.

“But it’s a dual carriageway and I couldn’t.”

Eventually Steve, a builder, spotted an emergency lay-by and pulled in.

With no time to drop his daughter Charlotte at his mum’s in Tamworth, she sat in the back seat while the miracle unfolded.

Steve added: “I ran round the other side of the car, and turned Jo’s legs to face outside the car.

“At first I couldn’t see the head, but when I checked again I saw all her black hair.

“I thought “bl**dy hell, here we go”.

“I was choking back the tears. I put my hand behind her head, and Jo let out one big push, and she slid out into my hands.

“I was so relieved that she was healthy.

“Then about five minutes later the ambulance arrived. One of the paramedics gave me a kiss on the cheek and said I‘d done a great job.”

Paramedics then took mum Joanne and baby Chloe, who weighed in at just 5lbs 10oz, to Good Hope Hospital to recover.

“I was completely out of my league. When we watch One Born Every Minute I can’t even look,” said the proud father.

“I never even dreamt something like this would happen. I keep driving past the same spot to go to work and I still can’t believe it.

“I am a very proud dad and can’t wait to tell her about it when she’s old enough.”

Read more: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/labour-love-proud-dad-delivers-13327285