Unexpected Rural Delivery

Pauline, Jamie and their son, with their newborn baby boy, on the section of road where he was born.

BUSH TELEGRAPH

WRITER: ROYNA NGAHUIA FIFIELD-HAKARAIA / PHOTOGRAPHER: SUPPLIED BY PAULINE DUFF

Resilience and quick thinking made all the difference for this rural family.

There have been many unexpected moments for New Zealanders across the country during the Covid-19 lockdown, but for Pauline Duff, the one that tops the list is when her unborn baby boy decided to come into the world in a ditch on the side of the road, next to some cattle yards, on a frosty morning in April.

Pauline had only been in labour for an hour when she and her husband, Jaime, decided to leave their home, situated near Ashley Clinton in the Hawkes Bay, and make the one-hour drive to Hastings Hospital. They were only ten minutes down the road when Pauline’s instincts told her to get out of the car and lie down on the side of the road. “Jaime was on the phone calling the ambulance,” she says. “They told him to have a look, he saw the head, dropped the phone, and our baby boy just popped out.” Her husband’s dairy farming experience was not something Pauline thought she would be grateful for during the birth of their second child. “I guess he’s seen alot of births and pulled alot of calves out. I guess it’s the same thing,” she says, with a smile in her voice. “He was really calm. I’m glad it was me and him.” 

Ten minutes later, the ambulance arrived and made sure baby and Mum were in good health. Pauline is grateful for the fast response of the ambulance drivers and describes the experience of a road-side delivery during a nation-wide lockdown as “a little more challenging.” Overall, her outlook is one of positivity. “You know what?” she says. “It was a lot better than sitting in a room with a bunch of people that can’t help you. The only good labour is a quick labour, I guess.”