Axel Murray, currently 2 days old, couldn't wait to start living. The baby boy was born in a hurry, two weeks before his due date and minutes before his mum could make it into the hospital.
Roxanne Faithfull and partner Andrew Murray rushed from their central Auckland apartment to the hospital as quickly as they could in the early hours, after her water broke at 4am and the couple timed the contractions.
"He was two weeks early. We hadn't packed the car or had anything ready," the new dad told the Herald, still in awe of his partner.
"It was Rox's second child but her first was 13 years ago."
Roxanne's first baby was born after 22 hours in labour so the couple were expecting a similar experience this time around. Baby Axel had other ideas.
It was a short trip to Auckland Hospital but baby Axel decided to be born in the back seat of the car, birthed and delivered by mum Roxanne.
"With all these modern gadgets mums have these days I was packing everything she needed, going to and unboxing and (badly lol) trying to figure out how to fit the baby seat to the back seat of the car," the dad recalled.
"She was all fine and then, boom, she was ready."
They did not have a midwife or any healthcare professional near them but did not feel alone: "we live on the top floor right in the CBD on Albert St. It as a long long corridor past all the other apartments and then an open lift so it felt like the whole complex was with us," Murray joked.
They almost made it to Auckland Hospital in time but, with the nervous dad driving as fast as he could, the mum continued to labour in the back seat.
"We almost got there," he said. "I drove into the parking gate as I went past the ticket booth. She was screaming, 'it's coming'. It was a very fast drive. The head was already showing," he added.
"We then got to the front entrance and she was holding him in her arms."
The mum cried tears of joy as she held her baby in the back seat of the car. Mum and baby are both doing well. Rox and Axel were transferred to Birthcare but then had to return to hospital on Saturday night as her body was still in shock, but she was back to Birthcare on Sunday.
The proud parents can't wait to take baby Axel home. His dad is over the moon - but says the back seat will never be quite the same.
