Mum gives girth at roadside after hospital sends her home TWICE

Karen Nattress said she was surprised to be sent on the 20-mile trip back home even though her waters broke on the second visit.

In the end she and husband Craig were making the journey back to Scarborough Hospital for the third time when they had to pull over, with Karen about to give birth.

Luckily Mr Nattress, 32, managed to flag down an off-duty ambulance who called a second paramedic crew and doctor to deliver their daughter Isla by the A64.

Police operation support worker Mrs Nattress, who also has 20-month-old son Callum, said: “I felt a bit dismissed because the midwife said to me on the first and second visit that second labours do come on a lot quicker, especially as I’d not long had Callum.

“I was surprised they kept sending me home after saying this, especially as they knew we lived an hour-and-a-half round-trip away. I told them my waters had broken but they said they hadn’t fully broken so sent us home.”

The couple first went to the hospital at 5am on September 20 when Mrs Nattress started getting contractions.

After being sent home to Norton, they returned to the hospital at lunchtime as the contractions grew stronger.

They’d been home for less than an hour when they made their third dash for the maternity unit.

Mr Nattress said: “We’d only been on our way back to Scarborough for about five minutes when Karen’s waters broke. I pulled over because I knew we weren’t going to make the rest of the 40-minute journey and rang 999.

“At one point I thought I was going to have to deliver the baby myself, and I was panicking but luckily an off-duty ambulance drove past, which was returning from being serviced.

“Although the staff couldn’t help us because they were off-duty, they did have gas and air which made Karen a bit more comfortable, and we moved into their ambulance.

“Then the first responder arrived, who’d been sent after I called 999. He was fantastic and delivered the baby.

“Thankfully, everything worked out for the best and our daughter is healthy and my wife is fine.

“But you just think about what might have happened with all sorts of complications that can happen with a birth.”

The couple and their new baby were taken in another ambulance to Scarborough Hospital where maternity staff were surprised to see them.

Mr Nattress said: “They were surprised but didn’t apologise – that would have been enough for then, but they still didn’t acknowledge they should have kept us in.”

But Mrs Nattress added: “At least it’s a story to tell Isla when she’s older. It’s certainly an unusual way to be born.”

A hospital spokesman said they were unable to comment on individual cases but added: “There will always be some incidence of women labouring rapidly and their babies being born quickly, however the Trust does not carry a high incidence of babies being born before arrival to hospital in comparison with other units in the region.”

She said all cases were reviewed to ensure improvements were made and they were happy to discuss the case with the couple.