Kara Diamond (holding son Micah) and her husband, Jesse, recently visited Hopkinton Fire Department personnel (from left) Doug Lewis, Patrick Rahill and Rob Caron for a reunion one month after the first responders helped with Micah’s delivery in an ambulance. PHOTO/HOPKINTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

The parents of a baby born in a Hopkinton Fire Department ambulance en route to the hospital in September recently visited the fire station to thank first responders with their infant son.

In an interview with the Independent, Kara and Jesse Diamond shared the story of the birth of their second son, Micah. They recounted their anticipation during Micah’s unexpected arrival and complimented the HFD on its professionalism.

Kara Diamond said she was three days past her delivery date of Sept. 25 when her contractions began on the evening of the 28th. She called Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where her obstetrician practices, for advice.

“They were like, ‘Oh, it sounds like early labor. It doesn’t sound that painful, and the contractions aren’t lasting that long,’ ” she recalled. “They told me to get some rest and see how I felt in the morning.”

She was awakened suddenly at around 1:15 a.m. the next morning by “super strong contractions.”

“I woke up to, it felt like a gut punch, but obviously it was my water breaking,” she explained. “But as soon as my water broke, I basically knew immediately that I was ready to have the baby.”

Her husband helped her from the bedroom to the entryway, she added. But at that point, she instinctively knew they would not make it to the hospital in time. Kara urged Jesse to call 911.

Kara praised the first responders, who arrived in “about five minutes.” They took her to Milford Regional Medical Center, the closest option.

“He was born about five minutes before we got to the hospital,” she said. “From the time I woke up and my water broke to the time we got there, it was only about 45 minutes.

“I was just in another world,” she added, noting she was simultaneously calm and in pain. “I didn’t care who was around or where I was. Let’s just have this baby.”

Kara said this was her first natural delivery. The couple’s 3-year-old son, Eli, was born by Cesarean section.

Dad: ‘Chaotic’ experience

Jesse said he was “half asleep and discombobulated” at first as he rushed to call 911 for his wife.

“It was sort of chaotic,” he explained.

The expectant father rushed to wake Eli and call his parents, who live an hour away in Falmouth, to meet them at the hospital. He thought about waking a neighbor for help in what he described as a “tight-knit” neighborhood on a dead-end street. He decided against it, not wanting to wake anyone.

“The Fire Department didn’t do the sirens or anything, so our neighbors really had no idea,” said Jesse. “I think they saw something on Facebook. They’re like, ‘Hey, was that you with the baby with the ambulance?’ We’re like, yeah, that was us.”

Said Jesse: “It was a little crazy, but I’m just glad that we didn’t have him on our floor in the house.”

Micah Diamond was born in an HFD ambulance on the morning of Sept. 29.

He also complimented the EMTs for their care and professionalism. Doug Lewis drove the ambulance, while Patrick Rahill delivered the baby with the assistance of Rob Caron.

“They did really good job,” said Jesse. “I felt very calm with them. They gave a very reassuring presence, even though it was chaotic.”

Jesse added that he appreciated that the responders were trained in delivering babies in case there was a breech birth. One EMT noted that he had not been involved in a baby’s delivery in an ambulance in the 30 years of his firefighting career.

Micah was born at about 2 a.m., according to Jesse. He came in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches.

Jesse said he made it to the hospital about 20 minutes after Micah was born. He was happy to be able to participate in cutting the cord.

“There were 20 people waiting for her at the door to take her in,” he said. “It was overwhelming and really nice.”

Both mother and child were discharged from the hospital about 36 hours after the birth.

“That was a good sign because it meant they were both healthy,” said Jesse.

He noted that the EMTs explained that it had been a busy night for the HFD. Earlier in the evening, a car had struck a telephone pole on Hayden Rowe Street, setting it ablaze. The car took down the pole and some wires.

“It was the perfect storm for the Fire Department with all the activity,” said Jesse.

Jesse advised expectant fathers to educate themselves about home births in case a situation like his family experienced occurs.

“If it’s getting close to the delivery date, they might want to watch some YouTube videos about home births,” he said. “But the most important thing is to be a supportive husband or partner.”

Parents introduce baby to HFD

The proud parents visited the fire station on Oct. 24 to introduce Micah to the men who brought him safely into the world. They gave Lewis, Rahill and Caron gift cards to Muffin House Cafe in appreciation for their efforts.

Said Jesse: “We may decide to make this an annual family tradition.”

Micah was appropriately dressed, wearing an outfit sporting a cartoon panda driving an ambulance.

“You can trust the Fire Department if you need them for that kind of service,” said Jesse.