Pregnant WRGB news anchor Olivia Jaquith continued delivering the morning news for three full hours after announcing live on air that her water had just broken.
Jaquith, who anchors for the CBS affiliate in Albany, stunned viewers when she casually revealed just before 6:00a.m. on Wednesday, May 21, that her labour had begun moments earlier in the newsroom bathroom.
“This isn’t April Fools — Olivia’s water broke… in the newsroom, right?” her co-anchor Julia Dunn asked during a Facebook Live video just before the broadcast began. “In the newsroom,” Jaquith confirmed, smiling.
Despite being two days past her due date and feeling mild contractions the day before, Jaquith arrived at work as scheduled — only for nature to take its course minutes before she was set to go live. But instead of rushing to the hospital, she chose to remain on-air and anchor the full newscast.
“We do have some breaking news this morning — literally,” Dunn said as the broadcast opened. “Olivia’s water has broken, and she is anchoring the news in active labour.”
“Early labour,” Jaquith clarified with a laugh. “Let’s not get carried away.”
Throughout the three-hour show, the duo maintained their usual energy and humour. They even tracked Jaquith’s contractions in real time.
“I’m happy to be here, and I’ll stay on the desk for as long as I possibly can,” she said during the broadcast. “But if I disappear, that’s what’s going on.”
In a light-hearted touch, the production team displayed on-screen graphics like “Days Past Due Date: 2” and “Baby Watch: Here Comes Baby P — Good Luck, Olivia.” At one point, Jaquith turned to the meteorologist with a cheeky question: “If my baby does come today, Craig, how’s the weather looking?”
The weatherman responded in kind, joking he’d carry her to the hospital if necessary.
Rather than taking a coffee break, Jaquith quipped, “Let’s take a water break.”
The following day, Jaquith announced on Instagram that she and her husband, Tyn, had welcomed their baby boy, their first child.
“What a wild 24 hours! And now, baby boy is here,” she wrote. “Soaking up kisses and cuddles for now, but will share updates soon.”
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