Local news anchor Olivia Jaquith was in for a surprise when she went on air for her latest broadcast.
The TV journalist, who works for CBS affiliate WRGB in Albany, New York, went into labor live on air on Wednesday, May 21. “We do have some breaking news this morning, literally. Olivia’s water has broke and she is anchoring the news now in active labor,” Jaquith’s coanchor Julia Dunn announced.
Jaquith, for her part, clarified she was only in “early labor,” adding, “Let’s not get carried away.”
Regardless of her labor progress, Dunn told viewers that Jaquith has begun timing her contractions, the last one being two minutes apart. “Well, there was one, but it’s been a few minutes since then, so we’re still in good shape,” Jaquith noted.
Dunn went on to praise her colleague for deciding to “stay on the desk” despite going into labor. The broadcast even celebrated Jaquith’s pregnancy by adding a “days past due date” counter at the top right corner of the screen.
“Well, I’m happy to be here and I’ll stay on the desk for as long as I possibly can,” Jaquith told viewers. “But if I disappear, that’s what’s going on.”
Dunn, who coincidentally is also pregnant, wrapped up the announcement by stating, “We’re so happy for you! She’s two days overdue, so she wants this baby out.”
Later in the episode, Jaquith stated that she would “rather be at work than at the hospital.” Three hours later at the end of the broadcast, the crew sent Jaquith well wishes with a breaking news bumper at the bottom of the screen which read, “Here comes Baby P, Good Luck Olivia.”
Jaquith is expecting her first child, a baby boy, with her husband, Tyn. Though the anchor has yet to announce she gave birth, WRGB teased via Facebook that she has become a mother. “You may have noticed, a new face on-air this morning, our News Director Stone Grissom slid into his familiar role on the desk to anchor alongside Julia Dunn CBS 6,” the outlet captioned a snap of Dunn reporting alongside Jaquith’s replacement coanchor.
Jaquith announced her pregnancy earlier this year while sharing photos of herself participating in the RunDisney Princess Half Marathon at Disney World via Instagram. “Crossed one finish line, still 3 months to go on the other,” she captioned the February 26 post. “Baby P coming soon ????????❤️.”
Jaquith has shared several snaps of her baby bump with her followers, even posing for a baby bump pic with Dunn in the news studio. “Bumpin’ ????????,” she captioned her March 12 Instagram upload.
Earlier this month, Jaquith and her husband celebrated their child’s imminent arrival with a Winnie-the-Pooh-themed baby shower. In her most recent Instagram upload, Jaquith shared sweet photos from their maternity photo shoot.
“Final days as a party of two ????????,” she excitedly captioned the Saturday, March 17, post.
