Baby born in layby after car hits pothole

Ryley Morgan was born in a layby after his parents could not make it to hospital

A couple from Shetland have described how their baby was born in a layby after the mother's waters broke when their car hit a pothole.

Debbie Morgan said the car hit the bump as it travelled down a rutted single track road from their croft at Burwick, on the west of the mainland.

She said could no longer hold on and husband Alistair had to deliver baby Ryley at the side of the road.

Alistair Morgan said it had been a "privilege" to deliver his son.

Ryley, who weighed 9.5lbs, was delivered at 03.13 on Wednesday, according to the clock in the couple's car.

Mother Debbie was travelling from Burwick, over the hill from the village of Scalloway, to the hospital in Lerwick, about seven miles away.

Debbie and Alistair Morgan with Ryley and their two other children

Debbie, who already had two young children, said she had done the journey along the potholed road before while in labour but this time was "more challenging".

"I hadn't realised how far along I was," she said.

"So when we hit a couple of potholes we could not avoid it and my waters broke."

She added: "We were actually coming through the last gate and I said to Ally, 'this baby is starting to crown'."

At first, she told her husband she would "hold him in" and to just keep going but a short while later she told him to pull over.

They had no mobile phone signal to call an ambulance so husband Alistair had to deliver the baby himself.

"You haven't got time to think," he said.

"I jumped out the car, had the hazard lights on, ran round the other side, wheeched the jacket off and got ready to catch."

He said he had never delivered a baby before but his experience lambing meant he knew what to expect.

"I just had an instinct really. Keep hold of him when he came out, hold him up to mum and wrap him up in a blanket.

"Got back in the car, cranked up the heat, turned the hazards off and off to the hospital."

Alistair added: "It was quite an experience and I feel quite privileged."

When they got to hospital the maternity staff cut the cord and took him to a heating unit to care for him.

Mother and baby are doing well.