Tweedmouth mum delivers baby Lily on way to hospital
A Berwick mum who delivered her daughter in an ambulance last month has called for the reopening of Berwick Maternity Unit.
Yvonne Mavin became the third local mum in four months to give birth in an ambulance when little Lily Rose arrived by the side of the road in Norham.
Lily, who weighed in at 8lbs 5.5oz, was due on February 28. But she arrived eight days early on Wednesday, February 20.
Yvonne, who has four other children, said: “It was a usual morning, we’d been to the library, had some lunch and on the way home I had some pains.
“I thought I’d have a lie down but at 4 o’clock the pains started getting worse so I phoned my husband John and the maternity unit, and they said to make my way to the hospital.”
John was at work at Hillside Lodge when he got Yvonne’s call. Knowing only too well how fast her labours can be - he had to deliver the couple’s second child himself at home - he told her to phone an ambulance.
“It usually takes me half an hour to walk from work, but I ran all the way and got back in 10 minutes!” he said. “I just made it in time to jump in the ambulance.” Lily arrived 15 minutes later. “I cried when she was born!” John admitted. “We named her Lily as that was my late mum’s favourite flower.”
Yvonne discovered she was pregnant last August, in the same month that Berwick Maternity Unit closed its doors for births. It was a bit of a shock.
“I didn’t know I was pregnant until I was nearly four months gone,” Yvonne said. “I had an appointment to discuss getting sterilised and the doctor told me I was 16 weeks pregnant!”
Yvonne wanted to have Lily at Berwick, but with that no longer an option, she chose Borders. “I chose Borders as I had my 19-month old at Wandsbeck, and John had to take three busses to get back to Berwick for the other kids - he had been up with me all night and was tired out,” she said.
Lily, however had other ideas, and made her entrance into the world at 5.10pm, before the ambulance reached the border.
“I’ve been there before so I was quite calm, but it would be scary for new mums,” Yvonne said. “I had my first baby at Berwick and it was the best service I’ve had. I really hope it opens again soon for other mums in Berwick and the villages.”
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Weather for Berwick-Upon-Tweed
Sunday 19 May 2013
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Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
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