Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Special delivery
Fireman helps wife give birth to Noah
Firefighter Stuart Watson had an emergency of his own to deal with on Christmas Day when he helped his wife Victoria deliver the couple’s new baby boy at their Cairnhill home.
Dad Stuart was talked through the process over the phone by the pair’s midwife and son Noah made his dramatic arrival while Santa was doing his rounds across Monklands.
Victoria was determined for the couple’s other son, Ben, to enjoy his Christmas Day morning to the full. So she was putting out his presents from Santa while suffering from contractions.
Having spent the last 12 years working as a firefighter, Stuart Watson should be used to challenging experiences.
But even by the brave 38-year-old’s standards, Christmas Day proved to be a real eye-opener as he had to help his wife Victoria deliver the couple’s new baby boy in their Cairnhill home!
Stuart leapt into action when Victoria, 35, began her contractions at 10pm on Christmas Eve and the lovedup pair – who have been married for five years – then welcomed son Noah into the world just over four hours later.
Victoria explained: “When my contractions started I didn’t think anything of it as they weren’t painful and I went for a bath.
“But I began to feel like I needed to push and Stuart and I called our midwife for advice.
“She told us to get organised and prepare to go into hospital but before we knew it, we could see the baby’s head was crowning.
“We phoned the midwife back and told her what was happening and she said she would call an ambulance.
“She stayed on the phone and ended up having to take Stuart through the full delivery process as the baby decided he was coming out at home!
“Thankfully Stuart is used to crises and was absolutely brilliant in helping me give birth to Noah; it all went very smoothly.
“It was another 20 minutes or so before the ambulance arrived so I was left just holding Noah skin-to-skin not quite knowing what to do next!
“We were then taken to University Hospital Wishaw and they made us very comfortable; Noah weighed in at 8lbs.”
As if Stuart’s emergency home delivery wasn’t dramatic enough, Victoria also wanted to ensure the couple’s other son Ben, eight, enjoyed his Christmas Day as much as possible – and didn’t let the small matter of being in labour stand in her way.
She said: “I managed to soldier on through some of my contractions to put all of Ben’s presents from Santa out for him to open on Christmas morning.
“Fortunately, we were able to leave the hospital with Noah after only a few hours, getting home at 7am, so Ben had a wonderful Christmas surprise waiting for him when he got up – a new baby brother!
“Ben was absolutely thrilled and couldn’t take his eyes off Noah all day long.”
Victoria added: “Noah was born two days late and obviously decided he wanted to be a Christmas Day baby!
“He is doing really well since coming home and is a wee gem.
“I can’t thank my wonderful husband enough for helping to bring him into the world; it is a lovely story that we’ll be telling for many years to come.”
Thankfully Stuart is used to crises and was absolutely brilliant