Family back with crew after roadside baby delivery

The family, including baby Otis, visited a Secamb site to reunite with the team who helped deliver him

Parents of a newborn baby have been reunited with the ambulance crew who helped deliver their baby in the back of an ambulance.

Louisa, from Canterbury, had been feeling increasing discomfort on the evening of 17 July, when she was 40 weeks pregnant, South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) said.

After initially taking advice to stay at home, shortly before 04:00 BST, on 18 July, Louisa's mother-in-law, a former midwife, called 999 as her contractions were just minutes apart, and five clinicians were despatched.

Louisa had planned to give birth at hospital, but baby Otis had other ideas, arriving at 04:44 while on route to the Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother (QEQM) hospital in Margate.

The 999 call had been triaged as a category 1 emergency, Secamb said.

Paramedics George and Lauren, critical care paramedic Liz and emergency care support workers, Jeff and Sam, were by Louisa's side "within minutes", it added.

Secamb said both mother and baby were healthy and were discharged less than 24 hours later back home to Louisa's partner, Joe, and toddler, Theo.

'Quite hectic'

Three weeks later, the family paid a visit to a Secamb site in Thanet to reunite with Lauren, Liz, George and Sam.

The crew enjoyed a cuddle with baby Otis and showed two-year-old Theo around an ambulance.

Paramedic Lauren said: "Although it wasn't Louisa's plan, Otis made a lovely arrival into the world in the back of our ambulance.

"Louisa was fantastic and it's great to see them doing so well after just three weeks."

Louisa said: "It was great to have the opportunity to reunite with the team who helped deliver Otis as it was quite hectic on the morning of his delivery.

"We can't thank them enough."