Mum gives birth next to pool table at Waggoners Arms pub in Cornwall

Andy Lord, 42, and his wife Bobbie, 30, wanted a home birth but were told putting a birthing pool in their flat above the Waggoners Arms, which they run, could be unsafe due to the age of the property. 

They picked a perfect space in the bar area for the birth and moved the pool table out of the way to fit in a birthing pool.

And as Bobbie was having contractions upstairs, Andy began filling up the birthing pool in between serving pints.

When the big moment arrived, Bobbie came downstairs ready to give birth and Andy called time to quickly clear out the pub of customers.

A short while later baby Robin was born - the couple's fourth child, joining siblings Carwyn, 12, Aoife, aged eight, and Eden, two.

Bobbie began experiencing contractions on Monday last week, while Andy was working a 12-hour shift.

After checking in with her at 8.30pm, Andy returned to the pub to continue serving customers.

Andy said: “Everyone was so good about it, there wasn’t one moan or complaint – the atmosphere was very exciting and full of anticipation.

“When I checked on Bobbie, she was sitting on her gym ball in our bedroom and whispered to me that she was having contractions every five minutes.

“She said she didn’t want to make a fuss, so I was alert to the situation and went down to the pub and carried on serving customers.

“I came back and checked on Bobbie again 20 minutes later and she said ‘at this rate you’re going to miss it’ - I said ‘no chance, I’ve got everything ready, don’t worry about a thing’.

The Lord family with new arrival Robin (Image: Bobbie Lord / SWNS)

“I went back down to the pub and got the pool out, I moved the pool table out the way and proceeded to blow up the birthing pool in place of the pool table.

“I warned people that at any moment they might be asked to leave so Bobbie could give birth in the pub.”

While continuing to serve pints, Andy began to fill up the birthing pool – until a customer let him know the pool was about to overflow.

At 10pm, Bobbie asked Andy to clear the pub and said she was ready to get in the birthing pool.

After clearing the customers out, Bobbie moved downstairs and shortly afterwards Robin Lord was born at 12.30am on Tuesday last week.

The couple, who live in the flat above the pub, decided they wanted a home birth.

But due to the age of the building they were warned that filling a birthing pool with water inside the flat could cause structural issues - so they went for the bar area instead.

The unique birth was planned by the parents, who said it was such a community event that there was even a pot with winnings for the customer who guessed the birth date correctly.

Bobbie said: “Everyone has been so excited and asking me every day ‘have you had the baby yet?’ - it’s been a real community thing.

“Everyone is talking about it and people find it fascinating; knowing so many locals would have something joyful to talk about for many years to come is something special.

“For us, I just didn’t want to go to hospital, I wanted to give birth in my home.”

Bobbie in the birthday pool next to the pool table in the pub's bar (Image: Bobbie Lord / SWNS)

Andy and Bobbie took on the running of the pub in October, after they wowed the crowd at an open-mic performance with their daughter.

Previously, they had been putting on ‘street karaoke’ performances in cities across the north, honing their entertaining skills and building their confidence as a family.

Following the hit performance, they began running open-mic nights and karaoke discos at the venue – and before long had been tasked with running the pub by the landlord.

After having a bad experience in hospital with their first and second child, the couple decided they wanted another home birth following the success of the birth of their second youngest, Eden, two.

Now, the couple are happy to have contributed to the history of the pub.

Bobbie said: “I was really proud of myself – I was using the cup to pour water over my belly and saying things to myself in my mind like ‘remember when you were holding your last baby and what that felt like’.

“I was just trying to distract my brain and help myself through without pain relief – the warm water around the womb is the best pain relief you can have.”