A SHOCKED father found himself delivering his own daughter in the back of a car after he and his pregnant wife were unable to get to hospital in time.
Kevin Monahan leapt into action when the couple were forced to pull over in Northfields Avenue, Northfields, minutes from their home because his wife Mia had started going into labour.
Although the 38-year-old, who is a gastroenterology consultant at West Middlesex Hospital, Hounslow, insists it was Mia, 32, who did all the work.
He said: “She was in Marks & Spencer in Ealing Broadway when her waters broke at about 11.45am. She went to Queen Charlotte’s Hospital but they told her to go home, that it was too early.
“She started having contractions at about 2.30pm. I phoned the hospital at 3pm and they said it was still too early but by 3.30pm it was clearly time to go.”
A friend who lives nearby took them in his car but he had barely driven around the corner when Mia asked him to pull over and call an ambulance.
Dr Monahan, of Elthorne Park Road, Hanwell, said: “I had delivered a baby once before but that was as a medical student in 1997.
“Mia did all the work. She said to me: ‘Can you deliver this baby?’ and I said yes which I thought was the right thing to say. I just thought: ‘I hope this goes well’ and a short time later her head was out. I didn't have time to think about it.
“Mia was incredibly calm and brave. She wasn’t screaming and was smiling soon after.”
Little Ailish Kirsten Monahan was wrapped in her mother’s cardigan and the three were taken to hospital when an ambulance arrived shortly afterwards.
Despite the drama last Wednesday, Dr Monahan said he would not have wanted it any other way.
He said: “It was an amazing, unique experience. It was really lovely. We felt so happy afterwards and we’re still walking on air.”
