08 December 2023 , 16:17
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A mother gave birth at home after a 25-minute labour - right underneath her Christmas tree.
Leanne Tighe, 38, was expecting her third child to be born before December 25. However, the healthcare assistant had her baby under her Christmas tree on the living room floor all within half an hour of her waters breaking. Leanne's neighbour and best friend Ashley Brooke delivered baby Amelia - who will be known as Mimi. They then sent a photo of the newborn to Leanne's partner Cameron Lawlor - who was still on a bus home.
Cameron arrived just in time to cut the umbilical cord at their house in Williton, Somerset. Leanne said: "She was delivered on the living room floor right in front of my Christmas tree. I guess if there is one way to cement a friendship, then delivering your friend's baby must be right up there.''
Amelia weighed in at a healthy 8 lb 8oz (No credit)Leanne's due date was December 2, but her waters broke early on Thursday (November 30). She called Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, to tell the midwives she would be going in when Cameron returned from his night shift.
Leanne explained: "I had slept on the sofa and woken up with contractions about 4.30am but because they were nine minutes apart, they do not class it as established labour until they are down to five minutes."
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"Then I had four close together and I phoned Musgrove to ask about going in and as I was on my phone my waters broke and they said to make my way in.
"As I changed position, that made baby start to come and I needed to push." said Leanne. Her 14 year old daughter Ruby was just getting ready for school and as she came downstairs baby Mimi's head was already out.
Leanne, pictured with Ashley, told of her experience (No credit)Ruby immediately called for help from Ashley, who lives across the road. "I had spoken to Ashley half-an-hour before and she expected to walk in and see me walking around with contractions." Leanne explained. "She was not expecting me to be on my hands and knees and baby's head to be hanging out.
"So, Ashley got onto her knees and delivered baby under instructions from the nurse who had stayed on the phone with us." Leanne continued. "The nurse on the phone was amazing and I would love to find out who she was, and the paramedics who came as well."
"If they read this and can get in touch I would love to thank them properly." she added. Two double-crewed ambulances were sent while Leanne's baby was being delivered but arrived 17 minutes afterwards.
Mum and baby were then taken into Musgrove for checks, where Mimi weighed in at a healthy 8 lbs 8oz. Leanne, who also has a son Jay, aged 17, said her shortest labour had been eight hours, so it was a complete shock to have a baby in just 25 minutes.
She said: "There was no clue that anything like this was going to happen." Everybody was saying 'gosh, I did it without pain relief', but it was so quick I did not have time to think about it.
"I was just worried about the head and I was panicking a bit and was not registering pain or anything because I was trying to hang on until the paramedics got there." But once the head came out I knew I had to concentrate and get it together and stay calm."
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