A father has been hailed as a hero for the second time after he delivered his daughter at home for a second time in four years. When Adele Crisp, 34, woke up experiencing severe cramps on August 14, her partner John Anderson, 39, unexpectedly found himself acting as a midwife for the second time.
Adele was 36 weeks and two days pregnant with her second child, so she was told to get to her maternity unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. But Adele was already in active labour, so John had to help her to the living room and, following a 21-minute labour, deliver their daughter, Saige-Elizabeth, at 3.55am, reports Chronicle Live.
Déjà vu for the couple
Adele described it as like "déjà vu" since, four years previously, John had delivered their first daughter, Georgia, in the same property after she arrived nearly six weeks early in March 2022. On both occasions, John was forced to assist with his daughters' births as they arrived unexpectedly rapidly, mere minutes before paramedics reached both children.
Saige-Elizabeth remained in hospital for a week receiving treatment for jaundice but is now back home with her elder sister following both girls' swift arrivals. Adele, a full-time mother from Walker, Newcastle, said: "It's crazy this happened not only once, but twice. They both arrived really quickly, at the same house, and John had to catch both of the babies. It felt like déjà vu. You couldn't make it up."
First birth in 2022
Adele discovered she was expecting their first daughter when she was 28 weeks pregnant in January 2022. Six weeks later, when Adele was 34 weeks and two days along, her waters broke on March 4, 2022. She was told to keep track of the contractions but realised they were accelerating more rapidly than expected – entering active labour in the bathroom.
John, who was employed at a call centre at the time, rang for an ambulance and received guidance through the delivery over the phone. Adele said: "Within two hours and 11 minutes of my water's breaking, she had arrived. I was told not to push yet but my body needed to – it knew what to do. The paramedic heard as I told dad to catch her as she came out."
Georgia, who weighed 5lb 12.5oz, remained in hospital for 12 days on a feeding tube and breathing support after being born early.
Second arrival in 2026
Four years later, the couple were thrilled to discover they were expecting their second child in January 2026. Adele developed gestational diabetes during the pregnancy and was carefully watched with regular scans. She was scheduled to be induced on 19 August, but just days beforehand, on 14 August, her waters ruptured.
She said: "I was told to get taxi to hospital rather than call an ambulance. But my partner knew it was similar to last time and the baby was coming, so he called an ambulance. He could already see her head and knew she was coming."
Just 21 minutes afterwards, their daughter Saige-Elizabeth, who weighed 6lb 4.5oz, was delivered by dad and rushed by ambulance to RVI hospital. She spent a single night in the NICU receiving treatment for jaundice and slightly rapid breathing, followed by six more days on a ward, before finally settling back at home.
Adele added: "My partner's auntie, Julie, was supposed to be my birthing partner, but by the time she got her coat on and arrived, Saige was here. She's doing well and it's nice to all be home again."
