Mother gives birth on 406

(Update)

It was not what his parents intended. But a baby boy decided he wasn’t going to wait to get to the hospital. And was born on the side of Highway 406 this morning.

A young woman in her 20’s was in the passenger seat of the car driven by the baby’s father, when they had to pull over on the side of the road — because the baby boy wasn’t waiting any longer.

It was all happening on the northbound 406 between Geneva Street and Fourth Avenue, Only a few minutes short of the St. Catharines General Hospital. The 911 call came in to Niagara EMS about 8 this morning. Dispatcher Candice Burkholder took the call and began advising the father what to do next.

Candice Burkholder, EMS dispatcher: “Make sure that the baby was breathing, clear it’s airway. Wipe off the baby’s face and swaddle the baby, keep the baby warm. Make sure that mom is ok and warm. Tie off the umbilical cord in preparation for when the paramedics arrive.”

Melanie Horwath, Niagara EMS: “When we arrived on the scene, the vehicle was on the side of the road. So we came over to the vehicle with our pediatric kit which includes all the stuff for a healthy baby as well as an unhealthy baby after birth. And mom and baby were doing well. The baby was fine, it was crying, and mom was just in normal post-partum discomfort.”

Baby and mom arrived at the St. Catharines General emergency about 40 minutes after the 911 call. They’re both doing well.

Andrew Heersink, Niagara EMS: “Everything went well considering the environment we responded to. It’s an unusual place for us to respond to a call like that.”

Patrick Goestzen, Niagara EMS: “This is a first. That was the first.”

Roadside deliveries don’t happen very often.

Image: Photo illustration via sign generator at atom.smasher.org