'Daddy loves us both very much' – Newborn baby Arlo plays a special role in Walsall maternity proposal
A new dad found a novel way of proposing to his partner after she had given birth – by putting their newborn baby in a vest with a special message.
Shortly after giving birth in Walsall Manor Hospital, Stacey Arrowsmith went to have a shower in the delivery suite.
This gave Aaron Child the opportunity he needed, working with excited midwives to make sure baby Arlo was wearing a very special vest for when mum returned.
It was printed with the following message: “Hi mummy, daddy loves us both very much. He said we are his whole world and would like to know will you marry him?”
When Stacey, a 29-year-old firefighter, spotted the message, Aaron went down on one knee and produced the ring he’d been hiding, much to the delight and surprise of Stacey and watching midwives. And Stacey said Yes!
“I thought I’d ask her while she couldn’t run away,” joked Aaron, 45, who works in car sales.
“I was nervous, but mainly because Stacey didn’t see the message at first. While she’d been having a shower the midwives had put Arlo in the vest and wrapped him in a blanket. When they handed him back to Stacey she just carried on holding him.
“I was desperately looking at them, wondering what we could do, when they intervened and asked Stacey to check his layers. Finally, she saw his vest and said yes. That’s when I went down on one knee and produced the ring that her mum had been hiding at her house for me.”
Aaron said the midwives had loved being part of his plan. “They were amazing – and with the support for Stacey while she was giving birth. I don’t suppose it’s every day that this happens though.”
The Bloxwich couple, who have been together for two years, plan to tie the knot in 2024 and are now enjoying life with their new addition who was born on 23 October, weighing 7 pounds and 5 ounces.
Stacey admitted her husband-to-be’s approach was “imaginative.” “He is very romantic, bless him, so it’s just the sort of thing he’d do,” she said.
“But it was lovely and he’d gone to so much effort to get the midwives involved too. It’s definitely something to tell Arlo about when he’s older.”
Donna Perkins was the on call manager for maternity on the big night in question. She said: “This kind of thing doesn’t happen very often — we have had a few proposals but they are very few and far between. Congratulations on behalf of myself and all the maternity staff here at Walsall.”
