Babies are born at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee every day but not many make a dramatic entrance at the door of the staff canteen.
Barnhill couple Jennifer Hume (35) and Alex Nicoll (37) had first-hand experience of the unconventional delivery room when new daughter Marrissa would not wait for mum to finish her cup of tea and tumbled into her dad’s waiting arms.
In fact, it was a case of deja vu for Jennifer. Marrissa’s big sister Aimee (5) also took the medics by surprise and had to be delivered at home after her mum had been sent away from Ninewells.
Between them, the couple also have three older children Alex (13), James (11) and Natasha (6).
Jennifer was booked into the midwife-run Dundee Maternity Unit at Ninewells and was looking forward to having her baby in a birthing pool until events took a dramatic turn.
“When I got up on Wednesday I was just feeling a bit off but I had a midwife’s appointment at 1pm,” said Jennifer.
The midwife confirmed Jennifer was in the early stages of labour and sent her home to await developments. When the couple returned to Ninewells about three hours later they were told matters had not progressed.
“I got examined and was told it was the same and to go for a walk to get things going.”
Taking up the story, Alex continued: “We went to the canteen on level five and I just started having a curry and Jennifer had a cup of tea but she only managed a couple of sips.
“I was trying to time the contractions and they were coming about every minute and a half and I could see from Jennifer’s face that they were painful so I suggested we should go back to the midwife unit, but as she stood up her waters broke.
“One of the canteen staff helped me to get her out into the corridor. The idea was to get her to the midwife unit but we got about three steps along the corridor and Jennifer told me she had an urge to push.”
Alex, a lorry driver, had been so determined to be present for the birth he made sure cars were available at a number of locations to shoot him back to Dundee when the call came. He had been planning to cut the cord, but in the event he had to play an even more vital role.
“The rest happened really fast,” he said. “Jennifer was leaning on someone and I reached down and felt the head and then the baby was there and I sort of caught her.”
The couple are clearly delighted with the healthy 6lb 10oz addition to their family but the circumstances of Marrissa’s birth have left them with some concerns and they believe that, given Jennifer’s history, she should have been admitted to the unit when they returned to Ninewells.
“It was scary,” said Jennifer. “Anything could have happened. It turned out OK, but she could have fallen on the floor.
“I have had two previous quick labours and I am a bit disappointed I didn’t get the labour that I was looking forward to at the midwife unit. I just didn’t get the birth in a relaxed atmosphere that I wanted.”
Alex added: “It’s not the midwives but I think the hospital has a system that the midwives have to stick to. I understand they want people to stay at home as long as they can, but I think they have to look at each case and focus on the safety of each mother and baby.”
Even so, he added: “It was nice to help and to be there for her.”
Alex and Jennifer are grateful to a number of people who came to their aid Sarah, Karen and Margaret from the canteen, and Fiona, Erin and Kirsty from ward 23B as well as a mystery girl who played an important part.
“There was a girl standing beside Jennifer and I thought Jennifer was about to fall so I handed this girl the baby and helped Jennifer to a seat,” said Alex. “We don’t even know the girl’s name but she held the baby until the midwives came a couple of minutes later and we would like to thank her, too.”
NHS Tayside head of midwifery Kay Forsyth said: “Across NHS Tayside it is usual practice for women to be assessed on an individual basis on arrival, and recommendations for future care are made in light of these findings.”