Fireman helps mother in midst of childbirth
A member of the public arrived at the fire station to inform them a woman was about to give birth and needed assistance.
A Toti firefighter stationed at Umlazi Fire Brigade helped deliver a baby whose birth caught the mother by surprise on Friday morning, 22 April.
The firefighter, who cannot be named, said a member of the public arrived at the fire station to inform them a woman was about to give birth in an informal house oppositie the station and needed assistance.
“When we arrived, she had just delivered the baby on the floor of the shack,” he said. “We helped complete the delivery and stabilised both patients. We cut the umbilical cord and made sure the baby was responsive before we cleaned her. We then waited for a provincial ambulance to transport the mother and little girl to Prince Mshiyeni Hospital for observation and a check-up.
This was the first baby I have helped deliver, so it was quite an experience for me. It was also for my crew, who did really well during the incident, and they were chuffed that it all ended well.
The mother and daughter were both doing fine when we handed them over to the paramedics.
I don’t believe the baby was born premature. I think the mother was not expecting it and she had not prepared to become a mother that morning.”
