Dad delivers baby in car by side of A339

Little Aria decided she couldn't wait to meet the outside world

A NEWBURY man has described the moment he safely delivered his baby daughter in his car by the side of the A339.

James Sim and his wife Jade were on their way from their home in Clifton Road to the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital to have their second child.

But baby Aria had other ideas – and decided she couldn’t wait to meet the outside world.

Mr Sim, 35, was forced to perform an emergency stop just before the Star Inn pub in Kingsclere, where his wife gave birth in the back seat of his Audi Q5 just two-and-a-half hours after her first contraction.

If that wasn’t traumatic enough, he also had to remove the umbilical cord which had become wrapped around the baby’s neck.

Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News, Mr Sim said: “Jade was 11 days overdue so we were expecting her to go into labour, but we had no idea it was going to happen so fast.

“She had her first contraction at around 8.30am and we called the labour line who said to her ‘you know your body, come in when you feel ready’.

“I started getting ready casually because we thought we had plenty of time and it was then that Jade shouted up the stairs to hurry up a bit because the contractions were becoming stronger.

“We got into the car and had to battle through the Newbury traffic and when we got to Kingsclere Jade shouted that she was coming.

“When I looked I could see the head was already showing, but the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck so I had to use my fingers to get behind the cord and pull it over her head.”

Mr Sim managed to flag down a van driver called John, who parked his vehicle behind the car to protect the couple from passing traffic.

He said: “I had blood all over my hands. He probably wondered what the hell is going on, but John’s an absolute hero.

“He called the ambulance then stayed with me until it arrived.

“I’m really thankful to him for being there and to the paramedics, who were amazing.”

After spending that night in hospital being checked over, mother and baby are now back at home, where Aria has met her older sister Sienna and the family dog Simba.

Mr Sim, who works as a clinical nutritionist at a health care company based in Compton, has written a blog about their experience at www.dadwhodelivers.co.uk

Mrs Sim, who works in marketing for Newbury-based firm Beninca, said: “It was a bit dramatic, but not too traumatic. It was just a surprise how quick she came.

“James was fantastic and stayed so calm, which really helped me.”

Mrs Sim’s mother, Gina, said: “He’s an absolute hero.

“He thought on his feet and looked after them both until the paramedics arrived.

“He delivered his own daughter in quite traumatic circumstances and was just amazing.”