Meet Rob Keeling who is Britain’s most hands-on dad after he turned midwife to deliver all THREE of his baby sons at home.
The 40-year-old super-dad sprang into action for a third time after his partner Jodie Pointon, 33, warned him their third child was coming earlier this month.
He rang 999 for advice and grabbed quilts and towels before successfully bringing 7lb 5oz Billy into the world on the bathroom floor.
Incredibly, the quick birth means Rob has now delivered all three of the couple’s sons in different rooms over the last nine years – with none of the home births being planned.
He first helped Jodie give birth to their son Bobby, who weighed 7lb 4oz, on the sofa on July 22, 2006.
The couple moved soon afterwards to accommodate their growing family and Rob was on hand again to deliver son Archy, who weighed 7lb 9oz, in their bedroom on May 19, 2013.
His ‘hat-trick’ of home births came when Stoke City FC fan Rob delivered Billy on the floor of their bathroom of their new house on June 9.
Rob, from Fegg Hayes, Stoke-on-Trent, said: “I feel very lucky and I am over the moon to do this three times.
“Even Peter Crouch has not got a hat-trick like this.
“They have all been really quick births. I thought it was a strange coincidence by the second one but to happen three times is crazy.”
“I know what I am doing by now so was almost on autopilot and it happened so quick but it is scary looking back thinking about it.
“I’m proud of what I did and my family are really happy – they’ve been saying I should get a job as a midwife.
“It is nice that it is Father’s Day coming up, I will definitely be reminding the lads that I brought them into the world when they are old enough to buy me presents.”
Rob dialled 999 after finding partner Jodie leaning over the bath when her waters broke in the early hours of June 9.
Stunned ambulance call-handlers told him to remember what he had done twice in the past and gave him advice over the phone.
But Rob had to deliver Billy on his own after he dropped the phone when the head started to appear and paramedics arrived to find a healthy baby and mother.
The labourer added: “When I phoned the ambulance, they told me to do everything I’ve done before. I was panicking, although not as much as before.
“We had been planning to go to the hospital because we didn’t want to go through what we went through before.
“The ambulance was very quick, but it’s the third time they’ve arrived just after the birth.
“I was talking to them over the phone and then Billy’s head started to show so I had to put the phone down because I couldn’t do it one-handed.
“I picked the phone up again and the paramedic knocked on the door. I’m still in shock about it.”
His partner Jodie, who works as a carer, said she only had “very light” contractions on the evening of June 8 and there was no time to get to hospital once her waters broke.
She added: “I told Rob to put the crib up because the baby would be here later on the Tuesday.
“I expected to go into the hospital in the early hours and my mum was going to head down to have the kids but it all happened so quickly.
“It was probably scarier for Rob and I’m really proud of him.
“I don’t suppose any dad gets the chance to deliver their babies three times – it’s mad.”
Paramedics attended Rob’s home at 12.31am and checked over the mother and baby who didn’t need to go to hospital for further treatment.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service praised the new dad, adding: “An ambulance and a responder paramedic were sent to the house and a baby boy was born just as the responder paramedic arrived.
“Delivering one baby at home is an achievement – but to deliver three babies is something this dad should be really proud of.”
The number of mums who give birth without reaching the Royal Stoke University Hospital is ‘quite low’.
Maternity outpatient matron at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, Bo Hamilton-Cody, added: “To have three babies delivered by their partner is extremely rare.
“Giving birth is a natural process which cannot be planned for completely so midwives offer advice to women and their partners about what to expect in the event of an early arrival.”
The NCT charity – formerly known as the National Childbirth Trust – said they had never heard of a dad delivering so many of his own children.
Charity official Rosie Dodds added: “I have never come across a dad who has ‘caught’ three babies.
“Some mothers would say it is fantastic to have such a short labour but, for others, it is rather shocking and extremely painful.”
