A Markham mother thanked several York Regional Police officers Wednesday who helped her after she unexpectedly delivered her baby in her basement apartment.
Alysa Baker started feeling contractions around 3 a.m. Friday and was getting her toddler, Mallory, ready to go to the hospital when she realized things weren’t going according to plan.
“Suddenly, I felt I needed to push,” Baker recalled. “I knew there was no stopping it. I dialed 911.”
A 911 operator talked Baker through the birth, telling her to lay on the floor and push with the contractions.
“I’m trying not to have him come out, but he’s just pushing and pushing. I can feel him crowning,” Baker said in the call to the 911 operator, which was released Wednesday.
The 911 operator remained calm throughout.
“Support the baby’s head when it comes out OK?” said the 911 operator.
Two rookie York Regional Police officers, both of who have been on the job for less than two years, arrived before the ambulance did.
“She’s screaming. She’s in pain. And we look at her, and we see the head of a baby,” said Const. Matthew D’Sousa.
The officers looked at one another and knew they had to act.
“There was kind of a moment of, we stopped and looked at each other and thought, OK, we’ve got to do something,” said Const. Matthew Negrazia.
Negrazia tried to comfort toddler Mallory, while D’Sousa picked up the new baby.
“I pick him up and try to keep him as warm as possible. The sergeant comes, she grabs towels,” said D’Sousa.
Sgt. Heather Brown arrived and brought towels to warm the baby.
“I checked his mouth and nose and took out any mucous that was visible,” Brown said.
Paramedics arrived soon after.
There was less than an hour between the time Baker’s water broke and when she delivered her baby, a healthy seven-pound, three-ounce boy, who she named Aidric.
Baker said she was thankful for the care she received.
“I owe everybody my gratitude today,” Baker said.
With files from CTV Toronto’s Zuraidah Alman
