Meet Isabelle, the surprise Sunderland baby delivered after her mum's 12-hour shift as a nurse

Emma Hindmarsh, 31, felt unwell after finishing her day in a complex care unit, with an ambulance called when the pains she was experiencing got worse.

But before paramedics could arrive, Emma, with the help of husband Daniel, 34, and mum Tracey Hall, had delivered Isabelle in the bedroom of their High Barnes home.

Now mother and baby, born weighing 5lb 8oz and thought to be five weeks’ early, are doing well as the parents get used to the idea of their bigger family.

Emma said: “She’s here and she’s tiny but perfect and I don’t think it mattered what happened, she was coming into the world at that time.”

Their three-year-old Oliver is set to take on the role of big brother, with Emma and Isabelle home following days of extra monitoring at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

Emma had shown no signs of pregnancy, with doctors suggesting the position of the placenta may have hidden feelings of Isabelle’s movement.

“Something didn’t feel right and I thought it could be my appendix because the pain was really sharp,” she said.

“We spoke to 111 and they agreed that was possible and they did an assessment, to see if we could save going to hospital under the current circumstances.

“That’s when I rang mam to say we were waiting for an ambulance and could she come and look after Oliver.

“Then the pains got worse and I was lying down on the bed when my waters broke.

“That’s when Isabelle started to appear and Daniel could see her head and my mam shouted that I needed to really push.

“I never dreamed I would be walking out to the ambulance carrying a baby.

“It was totally different to when I had Oliver, when I was induced.

“I had no pregnancy symptoms, I didn’t have any morning sickness, cravings, hadn’t gone off anything and I was still in my normal clothes, which were a little bit tight, but I thought that was through the lockdown and have been eating a bit more.”

Emma is full of thanks for her husband and mum, who kept calm as the reality of what was happening late on Saturday, May 2, and into the next morning hit.

“It’s totally surreal, but the most amazing surprise,” she added.

“I can’t put into words how it feels. It’s just so lovely that she’s ours and we literally didn’t have anything, not even a baby grow.

“Oliver is going to be a fantastic big brother and he loves babies, so he’s just going to be besotted with her.

“Everyone has just been so amazing and supportive, rallying around.

“Obviously now I’m on maternity and Dan is on paternity leave and it’s been a massive shock to everybody, the ambulance staff, the hospital, family and friends, but they have all been so supportive.

“Daniel is over the moon. I think the sheer experience of it all took away the panic.

“He’s such a hands-on dad and so good with Oliver.

“My mam was just so good as well, she just talked me through it.”

Daniel, who is an engineer at Caterpillar in Peterlee, added: “It’s still just mindblowing and we’re trying to get our heads around it.

“We didn't have any inkling at all, Emma came in from work, had a shower, something to eat and popped a couple of paracetamol.

“Then she sent me a text from upstairs at 11.30pm saying she needed me and she was writhing on the bed in agony, so we called 111 and they put her on a wait for an ambulance.

“Then I had to phone the ambulance back and say I think it’s labour, just because the pains seemed like contractions.

“I had to phone my parents and tell them my wife was having a baby and I couldn’t believe it in that moment that we were going to have a baby.

“I just can’t sing Emma’s praises enough, she did an intensive job all day, took two painkillers and then gave birth.

“We couldn’t wait to get them both home.”

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