A WOMAN has thanked her husband and mum after they delivered her baby on the A36.

Ronnie Francis Bass was born in the back of his parents’ Volvo after midwives told the couple they had to pull over and deliver the baby themselves as they drove to the hospital.

Charlotte Cass, of Whiteparish, woke with mild contractions at about 3.30am on Friday, May 5.

She said: “I have laboured quickly with my other three boys, but I was not expecting it all to happen within the next hour and a half.”

She and husband Paul phoned Salisbury District Hospital at about 4am to say they were on the way and her mum Debbie Bowles arrived to go with them.

But as they left the house, Charlotte’s waters broke, and she said: “I knew then that I didn’t have long to get to the hospital.”

They phoned the hospital again while travelling and said Charlotte was feeling ready to push, and she was put on loud speaker with a midwife.

Charlotte said: “As we got over Pepperbox Hill I said I could feel his head coming out. It was at this point the midwife told us to pull over and deliver the baby – words Paul hoped he would never have to hear.”

Paul pulled over onto the Alderbury sliproad and Debbie climbed into the back seat, but the baby was born as Paul opened the back passenger door.

The midwife instructed Debbie and Paul on how to make sure the baby was okay, and they checked his umbilical cord and rubbed his back to get him breathing.

Charlotte said: “After a terrifying 15-20 seconds, he let out his first cry, much to all of our relief.

“Luckily we had towels in the car to keep him warm.”

An ambulance arrived twelve minutes later, though Charlotte said it “felt like a lifetime” and took her and Ronnie to Salisbury District Hospital.

Charlotte said: “We would like to thank Salisbury midwives, especially the lady on the phone who kept us all calm as well as the two paramedics from the ambulance service.

“I would like to thank my mum Debbie and my husband Paul for delivering Rocket Ronnie on the A36 at 4.50am, weighing 7lbs 6oz.

“Mother and baby are doing great.”