Perfect present
Mum’s baby delight
A Strath mum got the perfect birthday present when she gave birth to her baby son the same day she turned 35.
Lisa Murphy from Blackford welcomed little Charlie Jackson Wishart into the world on Sunday, April 5, at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
Charlie arrived after a difficult few days for the couple, with social distancing rules meaning it was not a conventional birth.
But thankfully Lisa’s partner Euan Wishart (38) was able to be there when the time came for Charlie to make an appearance after having to spend some of the time waiting in his car outside as a result of the virus-related restrictions.
Lisa recalled: “My waters broke on the Friday but the contractions eased off that night.
“On Saturday I had nothing but still had to go to hospital for checks. Around midnight everything just kicked off and he was born at 6.57am, on what was my birthday. It’s like he was hanging on to be born on that day.”
Lisa admitted it had been a stressful time not knowing if Euan was going to be able to be there.
The couple already have one son - fiveyear-old Blackford Primary pupil Joseph - and Lisa admits it was a very different experience to when he was born in 2014.
“It was very difficult,” she says. “No-one could come and visit me. Ninewells was deserted, it was like a ghost town.
“It was quite a scary environment. “I wanted to have a natural birth because I didn’t need to stay in hospital. For the women having C-sections, the dads are not allowed in and they are having to sit in the car park for six or seven hours.
“Since we’ve been home, the grandparents or families have not been able to meet him.
The grannies are desperate to hold him. I think it will be a number of weeks before they are able to.”
The couple, who both work at the nearby Gleneagles Hotel, are now safely back at home with Charlie, who is said to be doing well.
And Lisa was eager to thank the staff at Ninewells who helped her and made sure Euan could be there for the birth.
“The midwives were incredible,” she said. “It was very difficult for them.
“They had to have additional heaters on and they are wearing all these masks. Every time they go out a room they need to put new ones on.
“These are really hard conditions for someone to be working in for 12 or 14 hoursa-day.
“I really can’t praise them enough.”