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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Baby on board: Mom gives birth in front seat of car

By: Gabrielle Giroday

Posted: 12/31/2011 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 12/31/2011 9:32 AM | Updates

Kyle Genaille and Andrea Thomas with newborn son, Tristan, Friday, just hours after his early arrival near the corner of Watt Street and Chalmers Avenue. (JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Baby Tristan Genaille was so excited to meet the world, he couldn't wait for 2012.

He didn't even wait for his mother and father to reach the hospital -- which is why he was delivered early Friday in a Pontiac.

Parents Kyle Genaille, 25, and his fiancée Andrea Thomas, 24, had quite the surprise when they had to stop their car near Chalmers Avenue and Watt Street on their way to the hospital.

Thomas had cramps when she woke up at about 5:30 a.m.

The two had been rushing to get to hospital when they suddenly stopped at about 6:25 a.m.

"She said, There's not enough time, baby's already coming," said Genaille, a maintenance mechanic who said the surprise delivery caught him off guard and left him "nervous and excited at the same time."

Genaille helped his fiancée lean back in the passenger seat of the Pontiac G5, where she gave birth to the child.

Genaille said he was worried about the newborn's condition. He wrapped the babe in a sweater he was wearing.

"The first thing I was asking Andrea was, Is he breathing? Is he moving? Does it sound like he has anything in his lungs?

"Basically, making sure that his vital signs are all there, and making sure he didn't have (anything) in his lungs, no liquids in his lungs."

The two drove directly to hospital, where the new mother and baby were whisked off for care.

"We ended up driving right to hospital and pulled into the hospital, pulled into the ambulance bay and they took baby right away from the ambulance bay and rushed him up to the third floor and made sure he was OK," said Genaille.

The three were resting at St. Boniface Hospital Friday afternoon and Genaille said mother and son were doing well.

The couple has a 13-month-old girl together, and Thomas has a seven-year-old daughter.

She said the speed with which Tristan arrived was a change from her other labour experiences.

"I thought I had at least another five hours to go," said Thomas.

"Both my pregnancies, both my girls, they were both six hours long for labour and delivery so I thought I was good to go."

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 31, 2011 A3

History

Updated on Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 9:32 AM CST: adds apostrophes

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