Dad helps deliver ‘perfect son’

Mr Tandy, of Outwood, sprung into action after it was clear baby Dawson wasn’t going to wait.

He and his partner Becky Taylor had just gone to bed at around 10.45pm on Sunday, May 3 when Miss Taylor started to have contractions.

Mr Tandy, 33, of Lo Grove, said: “It all just happened so quickly. We thought we were okay and that nothing was going to happen until the morning.

“Becky was in labour for 51 hours with our first-born Miller so we thought it would be a while.

“We rung our parents and put them on standby and Becky’s mum said to get up out of bed and have a walk around.

“We went downstairs and she got on her birthing ball and that’s when we realised we were getting close.”

Mr Tandy phoned the labour ward at Pinderfields Hospital who told him to bring his partner in so she could give birth there.

He said: “I phoned my dad and asked him to come over and look after Miller while I took Becky.

“As soon as I came off the phone, Becky said her waters had broken and that’s when it escalated massively.”

Mr Tandy then called 999 for an ambulance and the call handler talked him through the entire process.

He said: “I kept saying to Becky ‘don’t worry you are not going to have your baby here’ but then, all of a sudden, I could see the baby’s head.

“I just encouraged her and helped as best I could. My dad, Ray, held her hand and all of a sudden our perfect son was here.

“To be fair I didn’t have to do anything. Becky was amazing and the guy on the phone was brilliant.”

Little Dawson was born at around 2.45am.

The family are now back at their Lo Grove home.

Miss Taylor, a freelance journalist, said: “We still can’t believe it. We will just be sat and one of us will think back to what happened and just start laughing.

“We were all ready for a long-haul labour and the last thing we ever imagined was it to be as short as it was.

“It was actually a great experience for us as a couple.

“Craig was fantastic. He kept his cool and neither of us really had much time do anything else but deal with the situation.”

The couple also thanked all of their family, the call handler and staff at Pinderfields Hospital for their help.

Miss Taylor said: “We will never get to properly thank everyone who helped us.”