Can't believe it

05/05/04

April 2009

It still doesn't seem like 5 years ago that Emily was born at home in the bath in less than an hour with daddy as emergency midwife!

I'd woken at 4.20 am needing the loo and started to push. By the time I'd woken David, he'd rung mum and dad to come and get Tim, and he'd rung the hospital to say I was ready, her head was already crowning.

When he knocked on the bathroom door to say he was ready to take me to hospital (5 minutes away by car!) I was still sitting on the loo pushing. He took one look and rang 999.

When they said an ambulance is on the way he said that he could see the baby's head. I think they thought they'd been dealing with an anxious dad until that moment.

When they realised the birth was imminent they gave him instructions by phone. I climbed into the bath (no time for any water!) and within 6 pushes she was born, at 5.15am, before the ambulance arrived. Poor bloke had a bad back and he was leaning over the tub helping me!! I don't know who was shaking the most, me or David.

My son Tim, who was 10 at the time, was sitting outside the house waiting for the ambulance (mainly cos I didn't want to frighten him with my screaming!) The ambulance arrived then mum and dad. The midwife wasn't even anywhere near! So David greeted them all at the door saying "you're too late, she's here!" What a way to enter the world!

People still call her Plug even now, poor kid. Good job she wasn't born in the loo!! Can you imagine the nicknames?