Dad delivers baby in 7-Eleven parking lot in New Kensington

A child arrived just the other day. He came to the world in an unusual way. In a gas station parking lot.

Bobby and Lindsay Elliott of Allegheny Township had been doing what expectant parents do: driving to the hospital to give birth to their son.

But Beau Elliott decided he just couldn’t wait.

Just before 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, he was born — in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven along Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington. He was five pounds, 15 ounces and 19 inches long.

“I think it’s great,” said Ron Acklin, 7-Eleven assistant manager. “It’s better than a robbery — it’s good news, not bad news.”

Signs Beau could be on the way started earlier that morning.

Lindsay, 35, began having contractions around 1 a.m., and woke her husband around 5:30 a.m. to tell him they should go to the hospital.

The couple left for UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood soon after.

They were only about 10 minutes down the road before they realized they weren’t going to make it.

Bobby was on the phone with the couple’s midwife, who told him to pull over and deliver the baby.

He works in sales and has no medical training.

“I don’t think you could ever fully prepare yourself for that,” said Bobby, 38.

Beau was born feet first in the front passenger seat of Lindsay’s SUV. Giving birth when a baby is positioned like that can be dangerous, but Beau’s went relatively smoothly.

The midwife was able to tell the couple what to do over the phone, and Bobby used another phone to call 911.

“It was crazy,” Lindsay said.

Beau’s legs and right arm came out fine. His left arm, however, was up over his head, so Dad had to reach in and pull it out.

“As soon as that left arm came out, he came right out. I handed him to Lindsay,” Bobby said. “He was already out and wrapped in a shirt before the first paramedic arrived on the scene.

“It was one of those things where instinct and God just kicked in, and we let everything else just happen.”

Dad and baby went to UPMC Magee in one ambulance and Mom went in another.

Beau was born premature, but both he and Mom were doing well Thursday.

“For the danger involved in that type of delivery and the circumstances and where we were … you consider all those factors and I would call it as smooth as you can,” Bobby said. “To have Mom and baby as happy and healthy as they are, it’s truly incredible. They’re both the real stars of the show. They did great.”

Acklin said this was the first time, that he knows of, that a baby was born in his store’s parking lot. He’s worked there 12 years.

“There might have been some made, but not born,” he joked.

Madasyn Czebiniak is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Madasyn at 724-226-4702, mczebiniak@tribweb.com, or via Twitter @maddyczebstrib.