Baby Georgie ‘healthy’ after surprise delivery in Manly Life Saving club toilet
THE Ferguson family are all smiles after Queenscliff resident and now mother of two Laura gives birth to bub in Manly Life Saving Club’s toilet.
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- How 5 years of development changed Frenchs Forest
- Call for rethink on Mona Vale Rd upgrade
- Mums use surfing to overcome anxiety
A BABY was born in the public toilets at Manly Life Saving Club because her mum and dad were not able to make it to the hospital on time.
Georgina “Georgie” Ferguson came into the world at 10.30pm on Friday October 27 — in the last cubicle on the left — within the ladies’ loo at the southern corner of the beach.
Mum Laura was being driven from their home in Queenscliff to the maternity ward at Manly Hospital by husband Eddie, after 30 hours of contractions.
Mrs Ferguson said they pulled to the side of the road twice, because the contractions were coming so quickly, before they stopped outside the surf club on South Steyne.
“I know it’s only a 10-minute drive to the hospital but I had to get out of the car near Queenscliff Lagoon and then again near the Jellyfish Cafe (on North Steyne) at Manly,” she said.
“We finally stopped at the surf club, I jumped out of the car and my waters broke.
“Then I just headed towards the toilets to see if they were open.”
Mr Ferguson said he stopped the car in the middle of the road to let his wife out and realised he had to find a parking spot so he would not block traffic.
“I heard Laura scream. I ran in and saw a stream of blood coming from under the cubicle door,” Mr Ferguson said.
“When I opened it I saw the baby’s head. Within a minute she was out.”
The proud dad had to unwrap the umbilical cord from around Georgie’s legs before Mrs Ferguson could hold the baby to her chest.
Georgie, little sister to Sam, 2, was then wrapped in a towel.
“While all this was going on two women in their early 20s, who had been for a night out in Manly, offered to help,” Mrs Ferguson said.
“Eddie asked them to call an ambulance and to flag it down when it arrived.
“Those girls were great. We’d like to thank them again, but we didn’t get their names or anything.”
Mr Ferguson said they ended up in the toilet block because they misjudged the timing of his wife’s labour.
IN OTHER NEWS
“It was a surreal experience but we are so thankful that Georgie came out crying and healthy. But I would have been quite happy not to have ticked that life box.”
Mr Ferguson said he contacted the surf club to let them know what happened and why there was a “bit of a mess” in the toilets.
“On the birth registration form I wrote down her place of birth as ‘Manly Life Saving Club’,” he said.
Mrs Ferguson and Georgie were discharged from hospital after just 12 hours.