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COMSUBGRU 2 Sailor Delivers Own Son
Story Number: NNS120921-14
9/21/2012

By Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg, Commander, Submarine Group 2 Public Affairs

GROTON, Conn. (NNS) -- A Sailor from Commander, Submarine Group 2 delivered his fourth child safely within three minutes after his wife's water broke without complications in Groton Sept. 20.

"Never in my life have I ever had to deliver a baby," said Yeoman 1st Class (SS) Joseph Brickhouse, who delivered his son shortly after sunrise in their 2000 Lincoln LS. "When we woke up this morning my wife started to have contractions and we quickly knew it was time to head to the hospital."

Brickhouse added that while en route to their car, his wife's water broke and little did he know that within minutes he would be delivering his fourth child.

"I quickly brought her to the car thinking I had time to get her safely to the hospital, but my son wasn't going to wait," said Brickhouse.

Brickhouse added that within roughly three minutes of getting into the car his fourth child, a boy weighing in at eight pounds, seven ounces and a length of 20 inches arrived safely.

"It wasn't really scary," said Brickhouse. "I instinctively knew what to do."

After his son was born, Brickhouse quickly contacted 9-1-1 and they arrived within four minutes of delivery.

The newest addition to the Brickhouse family and his wife were taken to a nearby hospital.

Brickhouse added that upon arrival he received a lot of congratulations from doctors who deliver babies for a living.

"The doctors were making all sort of jokes, all in good fun and one even told me that I could add something new to my resume," said Brickhouse. "This was an amazing experience to go through."

In addition to successfully delivering his fourth child, and serving in the U.S. Navy, Brickhouse also serves as an ordained minister.

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