A mother gave birth to a boy in the footwell of her car after just 90 minutes of work.
Leah Kemp, 26, felt an urge to push the drive to the maternity ward and told her husband, Jordan, 26, to be the midwife in the parking lot.
They didn’t have enough time to get in and despite the “he didn’t know how” protest, the quick-thinking Jordan stepped forward and caught the child in his wife’s cream cardigan.
Newborn Jenson Jordan Rhodes Kemp is now affectionately known as the “Parking Lot Baby” after joining the world in Leah’s blue Mazda 3.
Leah from Pontypridd said: “It all happened so fast that I worked fast before, but never so fast.
“I had constant pain and a slight urge to push, but I never thought I would give birth in the car.
Leah Kemp’s baby Jenson
(Image: SWNS)
“I told him the baby was coming now and he had to give birth and he said he couldn’t, he didn’t know how, but he did it anyway and gave birth to our son perfectly.
“How we did it, I don’t know, it was a miracle because I and the baby didn’t leave any marks on us after the delivery.
“He had no help from anyone during the delivery, it was just the two of us in the car working as a team to deliver our son without thinking about what could go wrong and just focusing on getting the baby out. “
The budding beauty therapist had severe back pain when she rummaged through garden lights in ASDA at 10:40 p.m. on Thursday, May 6th.
She knew she was in labor and rushed home to go to the bathroom to relieve the pain while Jordan brought two daughters, Mercedes-Elise Kemp, five, and Autumn Kemp, two, to her grandmother’s.
When he returned to Leah at their home in Pwllgwaun, South Wales, they decided it was time to go to the hospital.
Leah said, “While driving, I felt more pain and a slight urge to push.
“I just kept thinking, you are almost in the hospital now, you are almost there, wait, it will be over soon.”
They arrived just after midnight outside the A&E department of Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil but found they were at the wrong entrance.
Leah said, “My husband tried to find me a wheelchair because I couldn’t walk at the time.
“When he came back in the wheelchair, I told him that I could feel the baby’s head and that the baby was coming now and he would have to give birth to our son.
“He told me to take me to the hospital. He told me I couldn’t deliver the baby in the car.”
The Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, where Leah gave birth in the car
(Image: SWNS)
Jordan argued they should go in, but Leah insisted on getting comfortable in the passenger seat.
After only 90 minutes of work, the baby came.
Leah said, “I called to my husband to slide the seat back as far as possible.
“At this point I had started pushing and told my husband to grab his head, which he did. Then he told me one more big push and his shoulders will be out.
“Sure enough, the baby’s shoulders came out, and then the rest of his body.
“My husband then knelt in the footwell and caught our little boy.”
The plasterer Jordan wrapped the newborn in Leah’s cardigan and placed the baby on her chest while he went to the hospital for help.
About three minutes later, two midwives arrived and, exhausted, wheeled Leah into the house, where they checked everyone and cut the umbilical cord.
The birth of Jenson Jordan Rhodes Kemp was recorded on May 7th as 12:40 am and weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces.
Leah said, “I asked the midwife who was looking after me if this was common and she replied that this was my first car park baby.”
“We still have the car and we have no plans to get rid of it as it is a special keepsake for us now and a great story to tell our son when he is older.”
Jordan began cleaning the Mazda with wipes provided by a paramedic while his wife was still in the hospital.
Leah Kemp with husband Jordan, Baby Jenson, Mercedes, 5, and Autumn, 2
(Image: SWNS)
The family of five enjoys home life and shares Jenson’s unusual story with friends.
Leah said, “Every time a midwife or health visitor calls the house, they say to us, are you the one who gave birth in the car?” that always makes us laugh.
“He’s known as the ‘parking garage baby’.
“When I look back on the birth now, I still can’t believe that we actually gave birth to our son alone in the car and how happy we are that there were no complications.
“It was really a miracle in the sense that nothing went wrong under the circumstances. I joke my husband that his job is now plasterer / midwife.
“I hope my story makes people smile and encourages those who are ever in a similar situation to trust their bodies and instincts.”
