First time dad-to-be from Milton Keynes makes amazing gesture while his partner is in labour

A first-time dad found the perfect way to surprise his partner when she went into labour with their first child.

Robert Macdonald had watched in awe as 35-year-old Natalie Jowett rigidly followed health advice during pregnancy, avoiding alcohol, soft cheese and, above all, her beloved sushi.

He was even more awe-struck as he watched her bravely go through labour and prepare to give birth.

"I felt I had to do something to make it up to her," he said.

"I wanted to find the perfect surprise for after our baby was born."

Robert, a 34-year-old engineer hatched the perfect plan two hours into Natalie's eight hour labour.

He sent an online message to home delivery Sushi Club MK, ordering a large spicy sushi platter to be delivered the following afternoon.

He wrote: "My partner is currently in labour, so hopefully by the time is delivered she will have also delivered the baby....She has missed sushi so much whilst being pregnant."

The Sushi Club MK owners, Chris Carrington and his sushi chef partner Noi Brooks, were immediately touched by the message and vowed to pull out all the stops for Natalie.

Chris posted a picture of Robert's touching request on the Sushi Club Facebook page, saying: "It looks like it's not only sushi being delivered today."

Later, after Robert messaged to say Natalie had given birth to a healthy baby girl at 2.30am, he and Noi dashed out to buy a congratulations card.

"We put together a great platter and threw in desserts, lots of extras and, of course, the congratulations card. It was certainly a cause to celebrate!" said Chris.

This week Natalie is back at her Wolverton home with baby Alessia, who weighed in at 7lb 13oz, and both mum and baby are doing well.

"She loved the sushi!" said Robert. "It's one of the things she really missed eating while she was pregnant.

"I watched as she gave up drinking alcohol and going without all the things that women are not meant to eat during pregnancy. As a man, it make you feel helpless as we can still eat and drink what we like.

"It's the same when she went into Labour. As men, we just have to sit there and support them and don't have to go through the pain.

"Ordering surprise platter of sushi for when it was all over really was the least I could do."

Chris this week visited the new family at home to deliver another surprise platter for Natalie, courtesy of the Sushi Club.

His business has proved so successful that he and Noi are currently busy preparing to move into bigger premises at Central Milton Keynes, on Upper Fifth Street. They are aiming to open next month.

"It's really taken off," he said.

"We need to employ another chef to cope with all the orders. It will be a takeaway and delivery restaurant and we'll have a sushi counter so people can come in and choose what they want."

NHS guidelines say it's okay to eat raw or lightly lightly cooked fish in dishes like sushi when you're pregnant - providing any raw wild fish used to make it has been frozen first.

This is because, occasionally, wild fish contains small parasitic worms that could make you ill.

If in doubt, it is best to avoid it, state the guidelines.