Childbirth doesn’t always go to plan, as a Paxton family experienced last week.
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Violet Thoren was born in the car on Lovedale Road at 1.37am on Monday, February 5 – en route to Maitland Hospital.
Her mum Lorraine Travers had been at the hospital the day before, and was preparing to be induced on the Tuesday, as she was nine days overdue.
She went back to her Paxton home for an early night, but woke with labour pains and called the midwives around 1am.
Five minutes later, the pain escalated – so Ms Travers, her partner Patrick Thoren and her two-year-old daughter Maddison jumped into the car and headed for Maitland.
“I didn’t even think we’d get out of the house before I’d had her,” Ms Travers said.
“I couldn’t believe how quick she actually came.
“We got to Lovedale Road, and it felt like she was crowning.”
Mr Thoren pulled the car over and within seconds was helping to deliver his daughter.
“I didn’t even have time to call an ambulance,” he said.
Mr Thoren phoned triple-zero afterwards, and the call taker talked him through everything before paramedics arrived and transported the new bub and mum to the hospital.
Violet’s arrival was one of 16 out-of-hospital births NSW Ambulance has assisted with in the Cessnock response area since 2015.
Three of these babies were born before the triple-zero call, five births were assisted by paramedics and eight were assisted by call takers.
NSW Ambulance control centre manager Superintendent Tim Collins said NSW Ambulance triple-zero (000) call takers play a direct role in the safe arrival of hundreds of babies each year, often teaming with paramedics who are trained in the delivery of babies in the out of hospital setting.
“Dialling triple-zero ensures an ambulance is dispatched and essential instructions can be provided until paramedics arrive,” he said.
“Advice includes placing the mother in the most comfortable position, guiding when to push, and supporting the baby as it makes its way into the world.”
After Violet’s dramatic debut, both mother and daughter were fine, and the family was back at home by the Tuesday.
The parents agree that a city the size of Cessnock needs a maternity ward at its hospital – particularly with the growth in the outlying villages to the west (like Bellbird, Paxton, Millfield and Ellalong).
“If Cessnock had a maternity ward, we would have made it to the hospital in time,” Mr Thoren said.
Cessnock Hospital’s maternity ward closed in May 2003, as only two local GPs were delivering babies at the time, and many women were choosing to give birth out of town.
Births had dropped from 179 in 1994/95 to about 60 in the year leading up to April 2003.
Since the maternity ward’s closure, 17 babies have been born in the emergency department at Cessnock Hospital – the most recent in March 2016.
Hunter New England Health’s Lower Hunter sector manager Di Peers said Maitland Hospital provides the closest maternity service for soon-to-be Cessnock mothers, however the Cessnock Hospital emergency department does provides 24-hour care should expectant mothers require emergency treatment.
“Cessnock Hospital emergency department nurses have undertaken maternity emergency care training and the hospital has the necessary equipment to facilitate emergency births,” she said.
“While Maitland Hospital is the primary facility for maternity services in the Lower Hunter sector, community based post-natal services are offered across the region to help mothers transition home with their newborns.”
NSW Ambulance advice for anyone called upon to assist in delivering a baby
- Dial Triple Zero (000) and ask for ambulance;
- Stay on the line with the call taker who will talk you through the necessary steps;
- Provide mum with assurance that an ambulance is on its way;
- Mum is not to sit on the toilet;
- Make sure mum is in a comfortable position;
- Provisions should include dry towels and a blanket in which to wrap the baby;
- Tell mum to take slow, deep breaths between contractions; continue to reassure her help is on its way;
- When the baby is delivered, gently wipe its mouth and nose. Dry the baby off with the towel and wrap it in a blanket;
- Don’t cut the umbilical cord;
- Make sure mum and baby are both warm; and
- Await arrival of the placenta. When it delivers, wrap it in a towel. The doctor will need to examine it to make sure it’s all out.
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