Flora in rush to arrive

8:45am Thursday 22nd May 2008

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A KIDDERMINSTER woman came close to having her baby in a pub car park as she and her husband waited desperately for an ambulance.

Sofia and Lee Middleton, of Chester Road South, Kidderminster, were waiting at the Three Pears pub in Worcester after Mrs Middleton went into labour and it became clear they would not make it to hospital in time for the birth.

Mrs Middleton, 38, explained she had started having "intense" contractions at home and was advised to go to Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester for a check-up.

The couple, both employees of Kiddies Day Nursery in Kidderminster, then got stuck in heavy traffic at the Black Bridge temporary traffic lights, outside Kidderminster.

By the time they managed to get clear, Mrs Middleton could feel her baby coming and said she wanted to start pushing.

They called an ambulance and the pub car park was suggested as a good meeting place near to the hospital.

When they got there, Mrs Middleton said people were "milling about", amazed at what was happening around them as they were tucking into their pub lunches.

The ambulance arrived, with sirens blaring, to pick up Mrs Middleton and she had her baby - in the ambulance - moments before they pulled up at the hospital.

She said: "When they tried to get me out of the car I spasmed and went all rigid. I started to hyperventilate because I was so worried I would have the baby right there in the car park."

Mr Middleton, 40, said: "I was in a panic. We just needed to get to the hospital and I didn't know what to do next. Without speeding or breaking the law, I had to get her there."

He added: "I just felt helpless because there was nothing I could do. To be driving the car and be told your baby is coming right away is something you see on television, not something from real life."

Mrs Middleton was taken past "shocked" onlookers out of the ambulance and into the hospital on a stretcher, carrying her baby on top of her.

The couple's healthy 8 lbs 2 oz baby girl, who they have named Flora, was born at 2.45pm on Wednesday last week.

They said they were "delighted" to have a girl to join their two sons, Louie, five, and Archie, three.

Mrs Middleton added that the two paramedics were "fantastic" and "incredibly calm", adding she had begun trying to contact them to express her gratitude.

She said: "Friends and family have all had a laugh about what happened and said it was typical of me that I would have to do everything differently."