Born in hospital driveway

Blackwall couple Trudy and Bruce Ridge's daughter Pateley Claire was born in the family car right outside the emergency department of Gosford Hospital in the early hours of Monday, February 23.

As they pulled into the entry to the emergency department, Ms Ridges was already in labour.

Five staff from the hospital ran out and Ms Ridges delivered her baby in the car.

"It was an interesting experience," she said.

Trudy Ridges had two false alarms in the week prior to Pateley's birth, going into Gosford hospital on the Wednesday and Friday before her birth.

On the Wednesday, an ultra sound showed the pains Ms Ridges were suffering were very small contractions.

Ms Ridges said she thought she may have had to have the birth induced the following Monday, when at 9.30pm Sunday night, her pains returned.

Not wanting another false alarm, Ms Ridges decided to wait before going into hospital.

At around 1.30am, Trudy and Bruce Ridges decided to call Diane Harper, Trudy's mother, to take care of Wesley, 3, the couples first child.

Trudy Ridges said that on the way to hospital her husband was reasonably calm until her waters broke.

"When I told him my waters had broken, I've never seen him drive so fast," she said.

Pateley Claire weighed eight pounds 16 ounces.

"Fortunately, everything was OK," grandmother Diane Harper said.

Alison Branley, March 4