A couple have told of the “traumatic” moment they had to deliver and then resuscitate their baby on the bathroom floor of a Fife Airbnb.
Alex Clayton was visiting a cottage in Ceres in June last year, with husband Tony and son Max, when she went into labour at 34 weeks.
The family, from Yorkshire, had been recovering from a bug when Alex woke in the night feeling unwell.
After going to the bathroom, she realised her waters had broken, and the baby was half-delivered breech, which meant his head was stuck.
Dad resuscitated baby
Tony called 999 and Scottish Ambulance Service call handler Lorna Milward, based in Inverness, talked the couple through every step.
The baby – later named Fraser – was unresponsive when he was delivered, and Lorna helped guide Tony through the resuscitation process until he started to breathe.
Alex and Fraser were taken to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, where Fraser spent a week in intensive care before heading home.
The family have now met Lorna for the first time.
If it wasn’t for Lorna, I don’t think Fraser would have made it.”
Mum Alex Clayton
Alex said: “It all happened so quickly but I just remember how Lorna was so good at giving directions to us over the phone.
“If it wasn’t for Lorna, I don’t think Fraser would have made it. We hope we can stay in touch and keep her up to date with how he’s doing, as she is now part of our family story.”
Tony says that when he realised what was happening, he was “terrified” and felt “utterly out of my depth”.
He added: “Lorna was the very opposite: cool, calm and collected.
Amazing reunion after ‘traumatic’ birth
“She was able to talk me through something which I would never have been able to do without her on the end of the phone. We will be forever grateful to her.”
Lorna, who was helped by ambulance crew members Jordan Cooper and Lynne Robertson – based in Glenrothes and Leven, respectively – said: “I was always wondering about them, so I was pleased to get the chance to be able to meet them in real life.
“Once you are finished with a call you go straight on to the next one so it was amazing to find out what happened and to meet Fraser.”
When I realised it was a breech birth at home, that the baby was the wrong way round, I knew that it would be challenging.”
Call handler Lorna
The call handler, who later received a commendation, added: “Alex did so well.
“It was the first time a call like this had come through for me, and when I realised it was a breech birth at home, that the baby was the wrong way round, I knew that it would be challenging.
“It was a traumatic, life-changing moment for both Alex and Tony, so I knew I had to keep them calm and deliver the instructions on what to do until the paramedics arrived.
“Alex and Tony worked well together, which was vital in the safest delivery and care of Fraser, given the traumatic circumstances.”
