A County Durham mother gave birth to her son on the back seat of her car at an Esso petrol station while racing to the hospital. Sarah Frost, 29, delivered baby Albie on Sunday evening at the Esso forecourt in Sedgefield, County Durham.
The 29-year-old had been enjoying a homemade chicken curry at her mother-in-law's home when she unexpectedly felt her waters break at approximately 7pm. Her partner James Charlton, 32, and his sister Danielle quickly took action and decided to head to the nearest hospital, a ten-minute journey away.
However, as they travelled towards the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, Sarah – who was nearly full term – suddenly cried out. She said: "I was shouting 'I can feel the baby!' I asked James' sister, who was in the back seat with me, to have a look and she said 'I can see a ginger head.' I knew the baby was coming there and then. I was shouting 'We need to pull over right now!'"
James swiftly steered their Vauxhall Astra into an Esso station on the A177, where his sister dialled 999 while he delivered his son. Sarah said: "Within literally two minutes of parking on the forecourt, the baby just popped out. James was brilliant, he was really calm. He even took off his t-shirt to wrap Albie up while we waited for help to arrive. An ambulance had been on its way back from another job and Danielle flagged it down and paramedics arrived and even let James cut the cord."
Albie, who weighed 7lbs 5oz, was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure. Sarah was given the all-clear to return to her home in Trimdon, County Durham, with Albie the following day. The mother-of-two said: "It was just a mad birth. At 7pm I was really enjoying a curry and an hour later I had a baby in my arms. My due date was Wednesday and my previous labour was really long so I wasn't expecting anything like a quick birth. It took us all by surprise but the hospital staff were brilliant and kept asking how the 'Esso baby' was. If Albie gets interested in cars when he gets older we'll certainly know where it all started."
