Dad helps deliver baby on kitchen floor (From Daily Echo)

Winchester couple helped by daughter and ambulance service

10:50am Tuesday 12th March 2013 in News By Rory McKeown, Senior reporter

IT’S an absolutely amazing feeling.

Those are the words of new dad Scott Richardson, who stayed calm under pressure to help his partner Amanda Reid deliver little Archie on the kitchen floor of their Hampshire home.

And he couldn’t have done it without the help of Amanda’s 16-year-old daughter Lucy and the guidance of South Central Ambulance Service.

The parents, of Kings Avenue, Winchester, visited the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester on Friday evening and were told Amanda was in the early stages of labour.

They were told to go home but within a short time Amanda had strong contractions and her waters broke.

With the baby on its way, it was down to Scott to remain calm. He phoned for an ambulance and was guided through the birth by emergency operator Nicola Rogerson over the phone.

Lucy, who has aspirations to be a midwife, held her mum’s hand and reassured them both throughout the delivery.

Little Archie was delivered safe and well at just after 11.30pm and checked by paramedics when they arrived.

Proud Scott told the Daily Echo last night he was still “buzzing” by the new arrival. He said: “To be honest I did stay quite calm. Amanda panicked a little bit as she was expecting to go to hospital.

“It’s an absolutely amazing feeling.

“At the time it was scary but once it was done the ambulance was there. We are so lucky that everything went swimmingly.

“It’s a special occasion as it’s my first child and it’s made it that extra bit special that I have delivered Archie.

“I thanked the ambulance lady for talking me through it.”

Amanda, who also has a 13-year-old son James, said: “It’s a bit of a shock. It was a mixture of emotions at the time and I was not fully aware of what was going on. I knew I wasn’t going to make it to the hospital when my waters broke – that’s when I panicked a bit.

“Scott did really well. He kept calm when I wasn’t calm.

“We have got a good story to tell Archie when he’s older.”

A South Central Ambulance Service spokesman said: “All of our emergency call-takers are trained to deliver babies over the phone, by providing instruction should this prove necessary to birthing partners while an ambulance resource is en route.

“The trust would like to offer their congratulations to the couple and recognise the efforts of Nicola in the Otterbourne control centre in helping to ensure that the birth was a happy event.”