ST PAUL, Minn. — If you're not a person who subscribes to the theory that life is all about timing, having a short chat with Billy Kane of St. Paul might change your mind.
You see, a couple of minutes turned him from a slightly nervous expectant dad into an untrained midwife, with Kane helping his wife Allison deliver their new daughter smack dab in the middle of the couple's living room.
The adventure actually began shortly after Allison became pregnant, and decided that after having their first two children in a hospital environment she wanted a more intimate experience with the help of a midwife. The COVID pandemic also played a role in the decision to deliver at home as family and friends wouldn't be able to visit the new baby in the hospital due to restrictions, and at home the family could manage exposures themselves.
Fast forward to April 21 and it became clear the baby was ready to enter the world. Allison began having contractions and figured they'd have a few hours to get things in place. She soon realized things were progressing faster than she had anticipated, so the midwife was called around 7:15 a.m.
At 7:50 a.m. Allison's water broke. "She said 'I'm ready to push,'" Billy recalled. "She was amazing... said 'I'm going to have this baby right now.'"
Kane said his wife got on her hands and knees, and soon he saw the baby girl's head starting to crown. "We're on our own," he recalled thinking.
Once her shoulders were out everything went quickly, and by 7:53 a.m. Sheila Maeve Kane was laying on her mama's chest. Billy said Allison was amazing, completely in the moment, calmly asking him to make sure the umbilical cord was clear of Sheila's neck before he handed her over.
"We were really fortunate that everything went right, we were able to do it and there were no complications," he said, sounding tired but completely at peace. "It was an intimate, emotional moment between my wife and I... the craziest thing I've ever been a part of."
While Billy played an active part in Wednesday's delivery, he makes it clear that the starring role in this unconventional home-spun family drama belongs to his wife.
Smart move.
"She did all the hard stuff, I just caught the baby," he chuckled.
