BABY STORMS INTO THE WORLD
»»Tot’s early arrival as Ophelia hit home
»»Maria delivered by mother’s friend
HURRICANE Ophelia has delivered a happy surprise – with baby Maria arriving in a whirlwind at the family home.
Sonya Burke went into labour three weeks early as the storm hit Co Cork and gave birth at 8.15am on Monday. She said: “It was surreal the whole thing. The baby is called after my friend who delivered her.”
a NEW mother told yesterday how her baby “stormed into the world” when she was delivered at home during Hurricane Ophelia.
Sonya Burke gave birth to her daughter Maria at 8.15am on Monday just as the weather was beginning to rumble. In an interview with PJ Coogan on Cork’s 96FM, Sonya said her house on Camden Road in Crosshaven, Co Cork is on high ground and conditions were starting to deteriorate when her waters broke. She added: “I woke with pains at about 4.15am and I was passing them off because I had another three weeks to go. Then I thought these are getting quicker and quicker and the father of the child was at work so the only person in my house was my 14-yearold son. “So I called him to get the number of the hospital. He called my friend so she arrived and delivered her.” Sonya’s waters broke at 7.25am and Maria arrived 50 minutes later. She said regardless of the weather it happened so quickly she didn’t have much choice but to deliver the baby at home. Sonya added: “It was surreal the whole thing. The baby is called after my friend who delivered her. I would say my friend is headed for years of therapy.” Sonya said she is hoping power and water will be restored at her home as soon as possible so she can be
discharged from hospital. She added: “Trying to get home now with no water or electricity is going to be the thing.” Sonya said after baby Maria was born she was oblivious to the storm going on around her. She admits she was just relieved to be going to Cork University Maternity Hospital with a baby who was healthy, safe and well. Sonya said: “At that time I wasn’t really concentrating on the weather but it was shaky enough after she arrived and we made the trek to the hospital. “We had to make a stop on the way because of the weather and but credit to the ambulance crew, they were fantastic. As were all the staff in the CUMH. All is great. “She is a good healthy baby. She was 6lbs 15oz. She is a little bunter and is feeding well. “I have had to wake her a couple of times to feed her. I am great and in good spirits. I just want to get her home.” Sonya said the baby’s dad Colm arrived just minutes before the delivery. She added: “He had to come home from work. He was supposed to be working that night as well in the chipper. So my apologies to all the customers who couldn’t get their pizzas delivered that night. “But thank God all is well. At the start I could hear the wind and I didn’t pay much attention to the storm. “During the pain I didn’t care. I was just hoping that everything would go OK. “I would have been home yesterday if there was power and water at home.”