Off-duty doctor helps deliver baby... in the front seat of couple's VW Polo

 
Dominic Millen with Ruth Drinkwater and their new baby Oriana Kennedy Drnkwater-Millen Picture: Nigel Howard
Anna Dubuis24 April 2014

A baby born on the way to hospital has been named after a passing off-duty doctor who helped deliver her in the front seat of a VW Polo.

First-time mother Ruth Drinkwater, 40, was a week away from her due date when her waters broke and she went into labour at their house in Walthamstow, north east London.

Realising things were progressing quickly, she jumped in the car with her partner Dominic Millen, 38, and his step-father Rick Lewis, to rush to Homerton Hospital.

But just five minutes away from the hospital, Ms Drinkwater knew her baby wouldn’t wait around.

She said: “It escalated really quickly. She was coming whether we liked it or not.

“I was sat on the front seat, my partner behind me and Rick was driving but he didn’t know the way. I was semi-aware of directions, but I was screaming my head off and couldn’t articulate it. We were almost there, but I knew they had to stop the car.”

As screams came from within the parked car, a small crowd gathered to see what was going on, which attracted the attentions of Dr Michelle Kennedy.

“She took one look and said there was no time and suddenly I had my baby in my arms. Paramedics then arrived and Dom cut the cord and was left holding the baby in the street with a very shocked expression,” said Ms Drinkwater.

The unusual birth was far from her expectations following months of planning.

She said: “I wanted to use the birth pool and I would have liked some pain relief. Instead all I had was two paracetamol.”

Dr Kennedy, who had been walking home from a restaurant, said: “There was something quite magical about me being there at that point.

“I think the most important thing was having someone take over control, it was obvious the husband was distraught, she was in so much pain I’m not sure she was even aware I was there throughout the delivery.

“I thought about it a lot afterwards and I’m just thankful she was fine and the baby was fine.”

The couple have been reunited with Dr Kennedy, who works as a GP, following the birth last month and revealed to her they would give baby Oriana the middle name Kennedy.

Ms Drinkwater said: “It’s not a name we would have thought of and we thought it would be nice as a kind of tribute to thank her for stopping by on her night off. I didn’t know what to expect when we met but it was really emotional and we hope it will be the beginning of a friendship.”

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