A father delivered both of his daughters in unexpected home births four years apart at the same house in Newcastle.
Adele Crisp, 34, woke up with intense cramps on 14 August while she was 36 weeks and two days pregnant with her second child. The maternity assessment unit advised her to get to hospital, but she had already entered active labour. Her partner, John Anderson, 39, helped her to the living room, and after a 21-minute labour he delivered their daughter, Saige-Elizabeth, at 3.55am.
Déjà vu for the couple
Adele described the experience as "déjà vu" because, four years earlier, John had delivered their first daughter, Georgia, in the same home after she arrived nearly six weeks early in March 2022. On both occasions, John was called on to assist as the babies arrived unexpectedly quickly, just minutes before paramedics reached the scene.
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 daughter arrived in 2022
Adele discovered she was expecting their first daughter when she was 28 weeks pregnant in January 2022. Six weeks later, at 34 weeks and two days along, her waters broke on 4 March 2022. She was told to track the contractions but saw them intensify faster than expected, entering active labour in the bathroom. John, then working in a call centre, rang for an ambulance and was guided 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 arriving prematurely.
Second birth in August
Four years later, the couple discovered they were expecting their second child in January 2026. Adele developed gestational diabetes and was monitored with scans, with an induction scheduled for 19 August. But on 14 August, her waters broke days early.
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 later, Saige-Elizabeth, who weighed 6lb 4.5oz, was caught by her father and taken by ambulance to the Royal Victoria Infirmary. She spent one night in the NICU for jaundice and slightly rapid breathing, followed by six additional days on a ward, before returning home.
Adele said: "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."
