A mum made a dramatic dash to give birth at Bridgnorth Hospital after going into labour on her way back from her brother’s wedding.
Natasha Deverell, 38, has sent a New Year’s thank you letter to the “fantastic” midwife team and support nurses who brought Ethan Louis into the world. She has also sent a copy to local MP Philip Dunne to underline the value of the work of the town’s hospital.
The former pupil of St John’s Roman Catholic and Oldbury Wells Schools, who lived in Bridgnorth for 15 years, had seen her brother, local man Dylan McGoldrick, tie the knot at Rowton Castle near Shrewsbury.
“Little did we know that when we packed up the car to return to my home town of Bridgnorth to attend my brother’s wedding that we would be returning with our newborn son,” said Natasha, who lives with her husband, Nathan, 42, at Marston Mortaine in Bedfordshire.
“My waters decided to break at the reception. We made a quiet exit to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, which thankfully is not far from Rowton Castle.
“They explained that although my waters were leaking I was not in established labour, but I would need to have the baby within the next 48 hours. We returned to the wedding and decided we would travel back to Bedfordshire early the next morning. We got up very early and started the journey back with a dramatic turn of events.
“By the time we had reached the turning for the M54 I was very quickly in established labour and realised we had to take immediate action or I was likely to give birth on the side of the motorway.
“We diverted to Bridgnorth, dropped Elliot off at my mum’s and contacted the hospital to explain the situation,” she explained. “Ethan Louis, weighing 6lb 12oz, was born in the maternity unit three hours later.
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What a fantastic maternity unit it is – we arrived at shift handover time, out of county, armed with nothing other than a small hospital bag and some hospital notes and were welcomed from the minute we arrived.
“We were in a state of shock but everyone in the unit was so professional and supportive.”