Mum gives birth at garden centre and partner ties umbilical cord with shoelace

Mum gives birth at garden centre and partner ties umbilical cord with shoelace

05/17/2020

With garden centres reopening, there’s been long queues as people prepare to wait to get their hands on plants, compost and tools.

But one mum made a completely unexpected trip to her local garden centre when her partner had to pull over on the way to the hospital to deliver her baby there.

Emily Rumney, 28, was dashing to hospital with partner James Perry, 38, when she felt the baby’s head.

James delivered his own daughter in the garden centre carpark – and tied her umbilical cord with his shoe laces.

Baby Leah was born weighing 6llb 13oz when she arrived shortly after 5am on May 4 at the Secret Garden in Pontypool, South Wales.

Dad James said: ‘It was about 1.30am when Emily started having contractions.

‘I rang the hospital and they said she should have two paracetamol, a hot bath, and go back to bed.

‘At 2.30 am she had the two paracetamol and tried to go back to sleep. But by 4.30 am it was clear we had to head for the hospital, so we got everything together and set off.’

They’d waited until Emily was in active labour but everything happened much quicker than they expected.

But just a few miles into the 12-mile journey from their home in Sebastapol, near Pontypool, Emily knew the baby was going to arrive before they got to hospital as she could feel the head.

Factory manager James said: ‘I pulled into the Secret Garden car park. It was 5 am by now, and I could see that I would have to deliver her.’

James was trying to give information on their whereabouts to the 999 operator when Leah arrived.

‘I put her on Emily’s chest and was then told I had take a lace out of one of my trainers and tie that around the umbilical cord,’ he said.

‘I got a towel to clean the baby, and blankets to cover her and Emily up to keep them warm, put the heater on and waited for the ambulance.’

‘It was a totally unexpected adventure, but Emily and the baby are fine – and I’ll be keeping the lace out of that trainer.’

After 25 minutes, the ambulance arrived and took mum and baby to the hospital but they were both fine and able to go home later that afternoon.

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