A 10-year-old Fife girl sprang into action as a midwife when her baby brother made a surprise appearance.
Caitlin Connelly ran for towels and took over when mum Jennifer (28) went into labour in the shower.
Following a strange turn of events, the Methil schoolgirl and sisters Chloe (8) and Keira (7) were at home with Mrs Connelly, while dad Shaun and brother Connor (4) attended the emergency department at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.
Mrs Connelly, who was a week overdue, had just been sent home from the hospital’s maternity unit when Connor took a tumble and split his head.
As the men of the family were taken to Kirkcaldy in an ambulance, Mrs Connelly stepped in to the shower in a bid to ease her labour pains.
However, while they were away she suddenly felt the need to push.
”I thought ‘No! Not now. I’m in the shower and I’m at home with just my three girls’,” Mrs Connelly said.
”I shouted on Caitlin for help and she phoned her dad, but he was still at A&E. He was beside himself.”
As her contractions continued, Mrs Connelly asked her daughter to dial 999.
”Caitlin was perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better midwife,” she said
”She spoke to the call handler on the phone. She went to get towels and lined the bath with the towels and turned the shower off.”
Paramedics arrived just before Lennon, weighing 9lb 3oz, arrived. Mum and baby were taken to hospital, where Mr Connelly and a patched-up Connor met the family’s new addition for the first time.
”I thought ‘my poor daughter’ but it was just like normal to her. She has a strong stomach,” Mrs Connelly said.
”She was straight back to school on the Monday, like it had been a normal weekend, only she’d delivered her brother. She’s totally amazing.
”I’d also like to thank the two paramedics for their care and attention. I would love to meet them and say a big thank you to them for delivering my son safely into this world and taking me to hospital.”
Although everything turned out well in the end, Mrs Connelly questioned the hospital’s decision to send her away in the early hours of Sunday morning.
”I was assessed for four hours, as I was contracting and in pain, but I wasn’t dilating to more than two centimetres, so I was sent home.
”They were querying whether a urine infection could be the reason for contractions. I was beside myself, I couldn’t cope with the pain.
”I got my husband to phone the delivery unit again and I was advised just to take pain relief.”
NHS Fife board nurse director Anne Buchanan, said: ”I can confirm that NHS Fife has been contacted by the family and following investigation, we will respond to them direct.
”NHS Fife is unable to comment further.”