Northampton man's '˜mummy, will you marry daddy' babygrow proposal has ward in floods of tears

Friends from childhood Phil Dale and partner Paris Bell-Windmill gave birth to their eight pound four ounce bundle of joy at the Barratt Birth Centre of Northampton General hospital on Wednesday, June 29.

But 27-year-old dad Phil, who manages a facility in the motorsport industry, had a surprise up his sleave.

Paris gave birth at around 9pm, and when she went to take a shower afterwards, Phil seized the opportunity to dress newborn Beau in a babygrow bearing the words: “Mummy will you marry daddy” and placed a diamond ring in the tot’s crib.

Phil said: “I thought this would be a common thing in a maternity ward, but the staff here said this is the first time anyone had done this.

“The midwives helped me keep Paris away while I set up the room.

“Then when she came back in a lot of emotions came out.

“Paris started crying - she nearly fell over she was so shocked.”

Mum Paris, 26, who works at Jeyes coffee shop in Earls Barton, said “yes”. The couple had only started dating two years ago, despite having met in their early teens.

The staff at the birth centre, opened at the end of 2013, were thrilled at seeing their first ever in-ward proposal posted pictures of adorable baby beau on the hospital’s Facebook page.

The ward has four birthing rooms, three of them with pools, plus kitchenettes, double beds and en-suite bathrooms to provide a more relaxing environment for mums.

Phil said: “The staff there were absolutely fantastic, we can’t thank them enough.”