‘Angel’: Teacher saves day by helping woman give birth on side of the road

A Melbourne couple were on their way to the hospital to welcome their second child when they got stuck in a heavy traffic jam caused by protests. 

A woman has given birth on the side of the road after a climate protest disrupted her route to the hospital.

Roshni Lad was on her way to the hospital early on Monday morning in Melbourne, her husband Bhairav driving her along Ring Road when they hit an enormous traffic jam.

The global environmental movement, Extinction Rebellion, blocked off part of the Westgate Bridge with a truck on Monday morning, causing chaos for over two hours.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. 

RELATED: ‘I was starting my first day at a new job, then I had an unexpected delivery’

Roshni Lad gave birth to her second child on the side of the road.

Protest traffic forces woman to give birth on side of the road

Roshni, who was preparing to give birth to her second child, started to panic as they remained stuck on the gridlocked road, waiting for an ambulance to escort her to the hospital. 

Then her waters broke, and her contractions started getting closer.  

While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, Roshni’s husband Bhairav began desperately waving down on the side of the road for someone to help, The Herald Sun reported. 

Then came Kate Lonsdale and Fiona Trapani, teachers from St Columbia College, who were on the school bus on their way to a sporting event. 

Noticing the man’s frantic arm movements, the two women demanded the bus driver pull over to the side of the road, and the two women filed out of the bus to assist the couple.

Teacher Kate instantly sprung into action, listening carefully to the triple-0 operator on the phone as they guided her through the next steps. 

“I was following the lady’s instructions, and I think on the third contraction the baby came out,” the teacher recalled. 

A healthy baby boy was safely delivered on the side of the road, wrapped in a blanket to keep snug before ambulances arrived and escorted them to St Vincent’s Hospital. 

RELATED: The first thing I asked my nurse was if my baby had survived

Kate saved the day with her calm a reassuring nature. Picture: Mark Stewart

Teacher “came in like an angel” to help deliver baby

Speaking to The Herald Sun, husband Bhairav said the birth of his second child was distressing, but Kate’s assistance was a blessing for the couple. 

“She came in like an angel,” he said. “She took care of my newborn baby and my wife. She took control of the delivery and followed all the instructions of the emergency department very well.” 

As for Kate, she told reporters she “had no idea what I was doing” but kept focussed on the task at hand. 

“I just had visions of me being in labour, and all you want is for people to tell you that you’re OK,” she said. “The baby was OK, so I stayed calm and reassured the mum the baby was fine.”

Introducing our new podcast: Mum Club! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

Originally published as ‘Angel’: Teacher saves day by helping woman give birth on side of the road