Broncos star welcomes baby Daisy in time for Father’s Day

Father’s Day will be extra special for Brisbane Broncos star Billy Walters, who has welcomed a baby girl to his family just days out from one of the biggest matches of his team’s season.

Baby Daisy Kim Walters was born via an emergency cesarean section at Mater Mothers’ Hospital in South Brisbane at 11am on Monday, weighing 3.8kg.

Mr Walters, the son of Broncos coach Kevin Walters, had been to training and just finished a meeting when his wife Rachel phoned to say she was in labour and it was “time to get to the hospital”.

Her sister Emily dropped their son Hugo (3) at childcare before driving the expectant parents to hospital.

Revealing she was only meters from the entrance of Mater Mothers’ Hospital when her waters broke, Mrs Walters said was grateful her midwife, Nichy Nott, from Kindred Midwifery, was by her side every step of the way until Daisy was born.

“It all happened so quickly – there was this big gush of water, Nichy came running out with a wheelchair and it all seemed so dramatic!

“It was like something from the movies, but also embarrassing!” she laughed.

Doctors found Mrs Walters had high levels of meconium in her waters and scans revealed her baby was in distress and needed to be born immediately.

“I wanted a vaginal birth but knew by that stage it wasn’t going to happen. It was about whatever needed to happen to get Daisy out safely,” Mrs Walers said.

“There were so many people in the room but everyone was so calm and so sweet, everyone knew what was going on and took care of the three of us.”

Mrs Walters said her husband was “calm and reassuring” throughout the birth and shed some tears when he saw his baby girl for the first time.

“I actually found out later my sister was in the corner crying! Bill was giving me reassurance and holding my hand – I was really impressed.

“Bill did say he was a little bit stressed through it all, but I couldn’t tell.”

The couple chose not to find out the gender of their baby until she was born and said they were “shocked” to find out she was a girl.

“It is always an amazing feeling becoming a dad, I was a little shocked she was a girl to be honest. I was adamant she would be a boy,” Mr Walters said.

“But now I am very happy we have one of each.”

Mr Walters said little Daisy’s middle name Kim was in honour of his later mother Kim Walters, who died of breast cancer in 1998.

“It means a lot that I can honour her and keep her memory alive,” he said.

Soaking up all the cuddles with little Daisy while he can before game-day on Saturday, Mr Walters said Hugo would be watching him play from the sidelines.

“Hugo will be there, he loves going to Suncorp to watch the Broncos play and Daisy will be at home with mum,” he said.

This Sunday Mr Walters is planning on celebrating Father’s Day with his family and “hopefully a catch up with Kevy at some poin!t”.

“Kevy met Daisy on the day she was born – he always gets excited for another grandchild!”