When Delores’ contractions began early Thursday morning, the family piled into their SUV and headed to the hospital. But not long down the road Jeremy says he knew the baby could not wait. At 3.30 am the father pulled down on the side of the Interstate 590 and began helping his wife deliver their son.
The couple’s four year old daughter was in the back seat observing even as Jeremy helped his wife in the front seat.
“And at 3:40, we delivered him — on the side of the road, at Exit 6,” near Browncroft Boulevard Jeremy told the Democrat and Chronicle.
Jeremy had assisted his wife four years earlier to deliver their daughter Amber at the hospital, so says he had some experience. But by the time he pulled over and went to the passenger side of the car to help, the baby’s head was already showing.
“I finished delivering my son,” said the father.
Baby Mathew was born in their family Chevy Cruze with his parents and big sister by his side. Once Jeremy made sure that both mom and baby were warm and everyone had relaxed, he called the 911 emergency.
He was told how to tie the umbilical cord with a shoe lace and paramedics arrived shortly.
Jeremy says that he and Delores had visited the hospital the day before but had been sent home about 5.00 pm.
Recalling the car birth experience he says,
The Cruze is a compact, however — “way to small to perform an operation like that. That was not comfy.”
But he is very proud of his wife.
“She’s a tough one, my wife.”
The baby and mother are said to be doing well after they were taken to the Highland hospital by the emergency crew.
