A woman gave birth at home without medical assistance or pain medication after claiming she was unable to secure an induction at her neighbourhood NHS hospital due to a lack of beds.
With the assistance of her husband Paul, Angharad Woolley gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Esmae in the middle of the night in her living room.
The 41-year-old, who was praised as a “supermum” by her proud husband, gave birth to Esmae, weighing 7 lbs. and 8 oz., just 18 minutes before an ambulance crew arrived.
Amgharad had been waiting for a call from her neighbourhood NHS hospital, the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, Hampshire, to take her in for an induction at 40 weeks and four days pregnant.
However, she claims that they were denied an induction because they were informed the maternity unit was packed and there were no beds available for her.
At 2.37 am, Angharad, a resident of Cowplain, some five miles from QA Hospital, began experiencing contractions at home after waking up believing she needed the bathroom.
I was afraid, she said.
“We failed to get an induction.” The next week would bring us to 42 weeks. We had to wait till she organically developed.
Although they were instructed to hurry to the hospital after her husband contacted the NHS Labour Line, by the time Angharad arrived to the vehicle, she could already feel the baby coming.
As we were getting into the vehicle, she exclaimed, “I thought the baby was going to come and fall on the pavement outside.” I returned right away.
A midwife spoke to Paul’s mother Judith, who was present in the living room, during the “rare” home birth, which is known as a “unassisted birth on arrival.”
Paul saw the infant Esmae’s head “burst out” as he was speaking to the midwife on the phone. “[Esmae] sort of fell into my hands onto the pillow,” he remarked. My mother dove over and attempted to grab her so she could be given to Aggie.
The midwives at QA Hospital were astounded to learn that the baby had already been born when the ambulance team arrived 18 minutes later.
The midwives couldn’t believe it when she was brought in with the newborn, according to Paul.
We informed them of what occurred. The main midwife on duty that night said that in her 22 years there, she had never encountered such.
We would like to thank South Central Ambulance Service in writing for their assistance.
Angharad continued, saying: “I was really relieved.” She and her husband already had a two-year-old kid named Max. Because you hear about the hazards as you grow older, I simply wanted her to be awake and breathing.
“I knew in my thoughts that I had to take the necessary steps to free this tiny one securely.
Angharad’s older brother, who died during the pandemic, was due to turn 70 on August 20 – the day Esmae was born. She said, “It’s like fate.”
The treatment of pregnant patients at QA Hospital was discussed by a representative of the Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, which oversees the facility.
Pregnant individuals are advised to call the Labour Line if they think they are in labour, they said.
The Labour Line, which serves Hampshire, will point customers in the direction of the closest hospital with a maternity bed available.
Whenever feasible, pregnant patients will get treatment in the closest hospital, but if that facility is already full, care may be given at a different facility nearby, necessitating further travel.
While we do our best to facilitate home births, we must always be prepared to offer both at-home and hospital care that is both safe and effective.
“No pregnant person is denied maternity care.”