Calendar Babies: The Little Ones Who Couldn't Wait to be Born & Those Who Delivered Them

1/17 The Sydney paramedics pictured with the babies they helped deliver this year. Picture: Richard Dobson

2/17 Paramedic Russell Lewis, who is known as ‘Poppy Smurf’ has delivered 60 babies throughout his career. He helped deliver Harleigh Lock-Hughes, who has spina-bifida, on the side of the M4. Picture: Richard Dobson

3/17 Paramedics Tim Forsyth and Tess Bartels are reunited with Emily Montouri and her daughter Cara. Picture: Richard Dobson

4/17 Paramedic Ben Marsh meets Jayden Kataieh and his parents Ahmed and Jenny for the first time after he took the Triple-0 call and instructed Ahmed how to deliver his baby. Picture: Richard Dobson

5/17 January: Cara Montouri. Mum Emily was a week overdue with Cara when her waters broke. “Within an hour we tried to leave to go to hospital. As we were getting in the car I felt like it was too late and I said, ‘I’m not getting in the car. I’d rather have it in my own home’.” Family friend Nabih “Nabs” Awad was called to the home to look after the house and the couple’s toddler until Emily’s mother arrived. Nabs called Triple-0 at 1.23am and husband Ciro acted as midwife until paramedics arrived six minutes later. Photo: Richard Dobson

6/17 February: Abbey-Gail Holt. Mum Connie woke around 2am with what felt like morning sickness. She contacted Triple-0 and asked for an ambulance. “The ambulance came and about five minutes after we left my place I gave birth in the back of the ambulance. It was a very quick labour. Four pushes and that was it,” Connie said. Photo: Richard Dobson

7/17 March: Jayden Kataieh. Jenny was in a lot of pain so Dad Ahmed called Triple Zero about 8.30pm and asked for an ambulance. “He said an ambulance was on the way but from what I was telling him, it sounded like we would not have enough time to get to the hospital and he would have to help me deliver the baby,” Ahmed said. “He talked me through the whole thing and kept me calm. He assured me the paramedics would be there soon. When my son started crowning I told the call taker I could see his head. “I was just amazed. I was a little in denial, I couldn’t believe what was going on. I kept thinking the ambulance would come and take my wife to hospital and I was saying to myself: ‘This can’t be happening’. “The caller pretty much delivered the baby with me.” Photo: Richard Dobson

8/17 April: Elise Upton. Julianne started having labour pains around midday and the couple were in the process of leaving for the hospital when suddenly the contractions escalated. “We were trying to get to the door — my mother Sheila was also there, she was giving us a lift. She was the calming voice and suggested we should call Triple-0 for an ambulance,” Matt said. Matt stayed on the phone, following the NSW Ambulance call taker’s instructions as he and Sheila guided Julianne through the labour. Photo: Richard Dobson

9/17 Paramedic Richard Torrens arrived just in time. “As the paramedics walked in the door, Elise arrived and they caught her. I cut the cord and then we went to the hospital,” he said. The time from the call to Triple-0 to baby Elise’s arrival was just nine minutes. Photo: Richard Dobson

10/17 May: Ashleigh Degan. Jacqui was eight days overdue but still thought she had time once her waters broke at lunchtime. Husband Kieran called Manly Hospital who said “come in”. “But I knew we weren’t going to make it to the hospital. Kieran called Triple-0 for an ambulance, but the call taker ended up helping him deliver the baby. “My husband delivered her on the bathroom floor, less than 20 minutes after my waters broke,” Jacqui said. Photo: Richard Dobson

11/17 June: Hannah Gabriel. Helen had a quick labour with their first child and they were determined not to have their next baby born in the car or at home. However the labour quickly stopped after the first onset of contractions. “My wife went to have a rest and I went to do some work on the computer and before I knew it I heard her calling out to me,” Daniel said. “Helen was standing at the end of the hallway and said to me that she could feel the baby’s head. “I knew we’d never make it to the hospital so I called Triple-0. It all happened so quickly, while I was on the phone to Triple-0 within about two contractions our beautiful baby girl was in the world. “Despite the hasty way she arrived, our Hannah is such a calm and easy going little person,” the proud dad said. Photo: Richard Dobson

12/17 July: Georgia Robertson. Baby Georgia was born at 33 weeks, the first child for Belle and Archie. Belle thought her pains were just Braxton Hicks contractions and went to bed. “I didn’t think I was in labour it was only 33 weeks and we were pretty relaxed about it. “But then my waters broke and the hospital told me to call Triple-0.” Paramedic Shani Buckingham was assisted by her partner Sam Byrne to deliver the baby in the patient’s lounge room about five minutes after their arrival on scene at the family home. Photo: Richard Dobson

13/17 August: Zahra Arber. Trent had just returned home from afternoon shift when Candice’s waters broke. The contractions started and were a minute apart almost straight away. “I said to my husband ring an ambulance because it was coming very hard and fast. The paramedics — two really nice guys — showed up and they basically said, ‘Right let’s go’ and I got into the ambulance,” Candice said. Trent stayed home with the couple’s three-year-old, awaiting arrival of Candice’s parents. They arrived just two minutes later. Trent then jumped in the car, hoping to catch up with the ambulance. In the interim, the paramedics had to stop on the side of the road as Candice began delivering the baby. “My husband saw an ambulance and thought, ‘Is that her?’ He came over to the door just as Zahra was being put on my chest. “He was there to cut the cord so he didn’t miss out on all of it. When we came out of hospital he showed me what light post our daughter was born under. So it was all very exciting. “A huge thank you should go to the paramedics. They helped bring our baby girl into the world safely and we are forever grateful.” Photo: Richard Dobson.

14/17 September: Harleigh Lock- Hughes. The couple had known their baby was a spina-bifida baby since the 19-week ultrasound and they were booked in for a caesarean that day due to the high risk nature of the birth. At 4am, Allyson woke with labour pains. She and Craig waited for a couple of hours before making their way to the hospital. With the pains intensifying they had to make a stop for petrol; then made their way onto the M4. Allyson started bleeding, however, and at 6.30am, she called Triple-0 for an ambulance. “We pulled over to the side of the road on the M4 in front of peak hour traffic. I got out of the car and was pacing up and down,” she said. “At some point the call taker said I had to lie back in the seat but I wasn’t really listening. I didn’t want to have my baby on the side of the road. “The baby’s ‘bubble’ (the couple’s name for the pocket of nerves and spinal fluid located on the outside of the baby’s spine) came out first, followed by her feet which flicked out underneath. “She had been breech since July and the doctors didn’t turn her because they didn’t want to risk breaking the bubble. If it burst she could not have made it. “And then she was born and Craig put her on me. We had enough time for me to take a selfie of me and Harleigh — I sent it to our parents saying, ‘She’s born!’ and then the paramedics got there shortly after.” Photo: Richard Dobson

15/17 October: Bonnimae Jarrett. Around 9pm, Jo’s waters broke and she could immediately feel the baby’s head. “I yelled out to Dean for help and he asked his daughter to ring Triple-0. I couldn’t move and all I wanted to do was push!” Jo said. “The lady on the Triple-0 call talked Dean through what to do and we had her on speaker phone as I laid on the bathroom floor to get ready to have the baby. “The paramedics arrived just in time to deliver our baby girl! They gave her a little bit of oxygen and helped deliver my placenta and then we all headed to Randwick Hospital. “We would like to send a thank you to the paramedics and to the lady on the phone and let them know that we are all doing great and that they will forever be in our lives as the people who helped bring our beautiful Bonnimae into the world.” Photo: Richard Dobson

16/17 November: Joseph Karam. Mel went into labour about 7am. The contractions continued, before quickly and suddenly escalating to the point where they knew they would not make it to hospital on their own and called Triple-0 for an ambulance. “By that stage my wife began pushing and the NSW Ambulance call taker coached me on what to do,” Tony said. Within 10 minutes of the call, little Joseph had emerged into the world and into his father’s arms, at 8.42am. Photo: Richard Dobson

17/17 December: Kathryn Macready. Early labour had started about 1am and became established labour about 5am. “That last part just progressed a lot faster than I had anticipated,” Abra said. “Between 6.30am and the time we called Triple-0 (at 6.46am) it went from ‘Let’s call the hospital to see where things are at’, to ‘No, we’re not even going to make it to hospital, we need to call for an ambulance’,” Abra said. While awaiting the arrival of paramedics, dad Tim stayed on the phone with the NSW Ambulance call taker, receiving instructions on making Abra comfortable. “The baby had already started to crown by the time the paramedics got there, but they got their in time for delivery.” Paramedic Pauline Hudson said as a mother of three boys it was lovely to help deliver “a little pink one”. Photo: Richard Dobson