Little Olivia’s relaxing – after a dramatic arrival
WHEN heavily pregnant Jasmin Hendry started getting frequent contractions at her Cardiff home on Sunday morning, she knew it wouldn’t be long before her baby arrived.
So she called her mum to drive her, along with her partner, the 10-minute journey from Llanedeyrn to the University Hospital of Wales.
But the Land Rover had only made it around the corner when Jasmin went into labour and felt the sudden surge to push while sitting in the back seat.
“I started having pains at home just before 10am,” she said.
“I’d had a couple of contractions every five minutes, but as soon as it hit 10.20am they just weren’t going away.
“So I phoned my mum and she came over [to take us to hospital]. I think we left my house at about 10.47am.
“We were in the car for literally three minutes and I felt like I needed to push, so my partner phoned the ambulance and my mum just had to pull over and help.”
While Jasmin was screaming in agony, a call operator from the Welsh Ambulance Service talked through what Jasmin’s mum, Ann Marie Bond, and partner, Ben White, needed to do.
But only moments later, little Olivia Rose White was brought into the world – much to the shock of her parents and doting nan.
“She was crying straight away so we knew she was okay,” said mum-of-four Jasmin, 26.
“We had nothing there ready, so my partner just had to take off his top and try and wrap the baby up to keep her warm.
“Then a couple pulled up in their car and asked if everything was okay.
“We explained what had happened and they turned around and brought us some towels.”
Jasmin admitted that everyone was panicking as they waited for the ambulance to turn up.
“We wrapped my daughter up and had to leave her on the back seat still attached to me,” she said.
“My mum was brilliant, but she was obviously very shaken by what had happened.”
Within six or seven minutes, Jasmin said an ambulance crew turned out to cut the umbilical cord and make sure mum and baby were safe.
“They gave the baby to my partner to have in the ambulance for 10 minutes while they tried to sort me out. And then we went to the hospital to be checked over,” Jasmin said.
Olivia was born at 10.50am on Sunday, weighing 8lb 2oz and was ready to be discharged around three hours after she arrived in hospital.
“Considering her dramatic entrance, Olivia is very laid back and chilled out,” said Jasmin, who is now settled at home.
“I already have three children and they were all quick deliveries. I thought it would happen quickly again, but I never imagined it would be quite this quick!”