A GRANDMOTHER came to the rescue and delivered her own grandson in the front room when she went into labour more than a week early.
Lisa Bailey knew Annie-Mae Murray was in labour on Sunday night but it was her second pregnancy and feeling they had plenty of time, agreed to go round at 6am on Monday.
But Lisa described being overcome by a feeling that she ought to be there and in the early hours jumped in her car.
Little did she know that baby Elijah would make a surprise entrance just over an hour later in the front room of her daughter’s house.
“My daughter had been texting me all night because she was in pain,” said Lisa, 46, from Cedar Crescent, Kendray.
“It was her second pregnancy and I stayed up all night just in case she needed any help or anything.
“It got to 3am and Annie-Mae told me the pain was getting worse but I told her not to worry, that I would be around at around 6am, when the roads were getting light and we could go to the hospital.
“I figured that she had plenty of time.
“At 4.40am I just had this overwhelming feeling that I needed to go over and check up on her, and just as I got in the car, Annie-Mae phoned me to tell me she thought she was going to deliver the baby in the house.
“By the time I got to the house I was on the phone to the midwife when Annie-Mae’s waters broke and she shouted for me to come and help her.
“I saw his head coming and I had a flash of panic, I didn’t know what to do but I thought ‘I have to stay calm for Annie-Mae’ so I kept listening to the midwife and doing what she told me.”
Baby Elijah Brendan Frostick was born at 5.50am on Monday weighing 6lbs.
“He came out in two pushes,” said Lisa.
“I am really squeamish around blood but I didn’t even notice or care, I was just focused on making sure Annie-Mae and the baby were OK.”
Annie-Mae, 22, and Elijah were taken to hospital for check-ups, and Elijah was put into an incubator to keep him warm after his surprise entrance into the world.
Elijah’s mum still can’t believe how quickly it happened.
“Well in the start, I didn’t think I was in labour,” said Annie-Mae, of Gerald Crescent, Kendray.
“I thought what I was having were practice contractions but when it got to 3am and they were really painful I knew I was in labour.
“I was absolutely terrified, I didn’t know what to do, and when my waters went I could see how scared my mum was as well, it wasn’t until the head came that I could see mum calm down and I thought that I could do it.”
Due to her labour progressing so quickly, Annie-Mae’s partner, Ben Frostick, 22, missed the birth of his son as he was away caring for a relative.
“Ben was so gutted that he missed the birth,” said Annie-Mae. “He said when our daughter Ruby was born that it was the best thing he had seen in his life, and was so upset he missed Elijah’s birth. I wasn’t due until July 3 so it was a shock to everyone when Elijah came early.
“He is over the moon now though, and can’t believe his son is here.”
After the shock of Elijah’s birth, both Lisa and Annie-Mae are in no hurry to repeat the experience, but Lisa admits it has strengthened the bond between her and her daughter.
“It’s so surreal, it’s like something you see on TV. I really didn’t think I would be delivering a baby that night,” said Lisa.
“I do feel so proud though; of Annie-Mae, and also of myself. I feel really happy, me and Annie-Mae are close but this has really strengthened the bond between us.
“People keep calling me ‘Supergran’.
“I haven’t stopped smiling since he was born.”
