Grandmother recalls drama as baby arrives early in her front room
Jackie Underwood was being visited by son Jack and his heavily pregant partner Paige at her Falmouth home when it suddenly became apparent the baby was going to arrive before they could get to hospital.
Jackie (51) and her daughter Abey, who herself is more than seven months’ pregnant, sprang into action to deliver the child.
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Alfie James Matthew Underwood, who has been nicknamed AJ, was born just as midwife Shannon Magill arrived to help with a difficult birth.
Little Alife had turned as he came out but Shannon was able to deliver him safely despite initial fears for his health.
Jackie, who has lived most of her life in Melton, told the Melton Times: “We realised Paige was going to have the baby as her contractions got more regular and she was in loads of pain.
“Me and Abey ran around the house to get towels, pillows and sheets and we set up the sofa bed in the front room.
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“The ambulance service said they were 31 minutes away and the midwife was 26 minutes away so we got ready for the birth.
“The midwife walked in just as she started pushing and the baby had become stuck for a few minutes but she was absolutely amazing.
“I don’t know what would have happened if she hadn’t arrived at that moment because I would have had no idea what to do.
“Alfie was blue when he came out and he wasn’t crying - it was scary at first.”
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An ambulance crew and a second midwife arrived to help treat Alfie and he was taken to Royal Truro Hospital with his mum.
They were both discharged five days later and mother and baby are doing well.
Jackie, who has four children and now nine granchildren, said: “Paige was amazing because she had no pain relief at all.
“Alfie weighed 11lb and we’ve been told that he is thought to be the heaviest baby ever born in Cornwall.
“He is lovely.”
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It has been a tough time for the family with the recent death of Jackie’s mother-in-law, Jean Keogh, and Jack being made redundant.
But Jackie added: “Jack now has a new job and a new baby and we are now looking forward to another baby in the family when Abey has hers in September.”