Dad delivers baby on living room carpet after partner brushes off labour signs

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Inessa Amber, 42, her partner Mitchell Lewis, 58 with their two children. (Image: Inessa Amber / SWNS)
Inessa Amber, 42, her partner Mitchell Lewis, 58 with their two children. (Image: Inessa Amber / SWNS)

A new dad was forced to deliver his baby on the living room carpet after his partner suddenly went into labour.

Mitchell Lewis, 58, was shocked to find his partner, Inessa Amber, 42, giving birth after he finished a shift at work on October 4, 2023. The mum-of-two had brushed off her contractions throughout the day as she continued to complete housework and look after their two-year-old.

After working from home in his study, it wasn't until 5pm when Mitchell noticed Inessa ''couldn't walk'' and called the emergency services. The call handler was quick to inform the pair their baby's arrival was imminent and talked the dad-to-be through how to help.

Thankfully a paramedic arrived at the house just in time to catch the newborn as Inessa, who was 39 weeks pregnant, was standing up to push. Their girl, now three-months-old, was born at 7. 45am on October 4, 2023, weighing 8lbs 1oz and named Elyanna Lewis.

Mitchell Lewis, a senior practitioner of mental health, from London, said: "I'm used to handling stressful situations, but this was terrifying. I went into crisis mode and grabbed as many towels as possible. When the paramedic arrived, he pulled at a manual for delivery babies. I knew I had to take things into my own hands. Luckily, he was just in time to catch our baby girl."

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Dad delivers baby on living room carpet after partner brushes off labour signsMitchell delivered his baby on the living room carpet (Inessa Amber / SWNS)

The couple found they were expecting their second child on 14 October 2023. Inessa, a full-time mum from Vinnitsa, Ukraine, had an easy pregnancy with no complications. However, on the day she went into labour, she started experiencing cramps from 8am.

Despite the discomfort, she continued her daily chores and looked after her two year old daughter, Ayanna. "It didn't feel it was time". Inessa said. "Mitchell works an intense job, so I didn't want to make his day more stressful. I thought they could be fake contractions. I didn't want to make a fuss over nothing." By 6pm, Inessa's contractions became severe, making it difficult for her to move around the house. Her partner, Mitchell, tried to arrange a taxi, but none were available.

Their friends and family were also not nearby to assist. Mitchell recalled: "I tried everything to make it work. My only option was to call the emergency services for advice.''".

After dialling 999, the operator asked Mitchell to count the contractions, which were occurring every three minutes. Mitchell shared: "They said they'd send an ambulance but that I'd most likely be doing the delivery. I was in pure shock. I just kept thinking, I've never done this before! I was told to grab towels and started giving me instructions.''

Dad delivers baby on living room carpet after partner brushes off labour signsMitchell was shocked to find his partner giving birth after he finished a shift at work (Inessa Amber / SWNS)
Dad delivers baby on living room carpet after partner brushes off labour signsThe dad, of London, noticed Inessa ''couldn't walk' and so he delivered his daughter (Inessa Amber / SWNS)

When the paramedic arrived ten minutes later, the baby's head was already crowning. Inessa remembered: "I knew I just had to keep pushing. My partner was incredibly calm in a very intense situation. Yeah, I was already thinking about having a birth at home. I wasn't scared, it was fairly easy. I didn't even go to all my appointments. As it was my second pregnancy, I never really felt anxious.''".

Just minutes after the birth, two more paramedics arrived and Inessa and her newborn were whisked off to Saint Mary's Hospital in Westminster, London. Meanwhile, their two year old and Mitchell stayed at home.

The next morning, they all got together again at home. Mitchell shared: "I never thought I'd deliver my girlfriend's baby. It was a high-stress situation. But I knew I had to do everything in my power to help." Now we have a beautiful baby girl. She's just like her father in the best ways. She's always smiling. I hope if there's a next time, I can clock off a few hours early."

Finley Mackenzie

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