It’s a girl: Paramedics help deliver roadside baby in Waterdown

Four minutes.

That's how far down the road Alyssa Larouche made it before her husband Justin had to pullover on Parkside Drive in Waterdown Friday morning.

She hadn't forgotten anything at home or realized they'd gone the wrong way. Larouche, 32, was actually giving birth to their second daughter - and quick.

Just minutes before, Larouche along with her sister and doula Dynika MacNeil had hopped in the van after a moderate" contraction caused her water to break.

Speaking to The Spectator Saturday afternoon, Larouche said little did she know, she was already pushing - it was the now mother of two's first natural birth.

Larouche said they were headed to Oakville to meet her midwives at the hospital. But their unborn daughter had different plans.

It was just insane," said Larouche. Four minutes down the road, (Dynika) asked if I was pushing and I said yes, so we pulled over and my husband called 911."

Emergency services talked the trio through the ordeal until paramedics arrived at the scene just after 9:40 a.m. Hamilton Paramedic Service Supt. Dave Thompson said three first responders attended the scene to help deliver the baby.

Once paramedics arrived, Larouche said it took just one more push to welcome Layla Rae - named after her sister and weighing in at 9.9 pounds - into the world.

Dynika helped with the suctioning and cutting the cord, while husband Justin supported her from the sidelines. The paramedics were also amazing," added Larouche.

It was an out of body experience, it was shocking," she said, describing the birth. Your body just takes over ... and your instincts kick in."

Thompson said paramedics transported both Larouche and her daughter to the hospital in stable condition.

The family was back home just 12 hours later, said Larouche.

The mother of two took to Facebook Saturday morning to post about the birth as a way to relieve others' worries in the Waterdown community group. After giving birth on the side of Parkside Drive, she noticed a small traffic jam had built up behind them.

I wanted to let people know it wasn't a terrible emergency," said Larouche. It was actually a good story."

Her post has since garnered more than 1,600 likes, with hundreds of comments congratulating the family of four.

She's our last baby," said Larouche. So, it was quite the final baby entrance."

Thompson said roadside deliveries with the help of paramedics are not infrequent" in the city, but they tend to come in waves."

Last April, a Hamilton police officer helped deliver a baby girl on a sidewalk in east Hamilton.

Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com