Ambulance operator helps deliver baby over phone after young dad ‘freaks out’

Young father Ahmed Mohammed has described the birth of his own baby as the “most profound experience” after being guided through the process by an emergency doctor

A young father is about to celebrate Father’s Day with his newborn daughter after an ambulance helped him give birth.

Fatima Mohammed was a week overdue with her third baby when she went into labor at her home in London.

Husband Ahmed, 26, dialed 999 for help and admitted he was “freaking out”.

He said: “We had been in hospital earlier but had come home to wait.

“We soon realized that the baby was definitely coming and I just freaked out.

“I was so panicky calling 999 but the caller was just so good.

“She kept me calm, gave me clear directions and kept reassuring me.

“She was very nice, although I was understandably very concerned and upset.”

He estimates baby Aria was born just five minutes after the call.

The caller continued to provide instructions, including wrapping the baby in a towel and finding something to tie the umbilical cord with.

Ahmed arrived in the UK alone as a teenage refugee after being separated from his parents as they fled violence in Nigeria.

He has described the experience of delivering his own baby as one of the most profound of his life.

Two ambulance teams and a paramedic in an emergency vehicle arrived at Ahmed and Fatima’s home in north London minutes after Aria’s birth on March 27, weighing a healthy 7 pounds 4 ounces.

Ahmed said: “All the crews were brilliant.

“They took such good care of us, made sure we were fine and the baby was fine, and they took us to the hospital for the baby to be checked out.”

Midwives train control room staff to deal with similar situations.

London Ambulance Service midwife Camella Main said: “Requiring 999 services during a labor or delivery can be a really scary experience, but our staff and volunteers are here to help whenever you need us.

“Call handlers take a wide variety of maternity-related calls and are trained to calmly and professionally brief parents on what to do while they await paramedic intervention.

“When a call handler assists in the birth of a baby, they receive a stork badge as a small token of appreciation for the contribution they made to safe arrival.”

Ahmed, an outreach worker, added: “It was a great experience for all of us and for me personally to have done this – a young black man, a refugee, a Muslim.

“It changed my frame of reference, it’s so positive to know what I can do for my family.”

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Fenella Wrigley said: “Everyone at the London Ambulance Service is well trained to handle the unexpected, but a call from a concerned parent-to-be can still be a bit nerve-wracking!

“I would like to thank the teams who have supported the family and kudos to Ahmed for helping his wife Fatima deliver their child safely.

“It means a lot to our call handlers to be recognized for the incredible work they do for our patients during medical emergencies.

“I wish baby Aria a warm welcome to the world and Ahmed a very happy Father’s Day.”

dr Wrigley continued: “I would also like to say a big thank you to all the fathers at the London Ambulance Service who are working this Father’s Day and are unable to spend the day with their families, as well as all the staff and volunteers who won. not getting the chance to spoil their own fathers while they work to help Londoners in need.”