Miracle birth for Croydon midwife with hand mirror

Hours after leaving work at Croydon University Hospital, Claire Clarke-Wood, 28 – who has helped thousands of mothers through childbirth – put her experience to good use when she delivered her own little girl Esmay in her bathroom.

She said: “My colleagues had joked that I would end up delivering my own baby but I never thought it would actually happen.”

Mrs Clarke-Wood, who lives in Hawkhurst, Kent, joined the midwifery team at Croydon in 2008, working on the case loading team offering support throughout pregnancy, and carrying out numerous home births.

After leaving the hospital at 10pm on Saturday, December 10, she endured a restless night before waking husband Tim at about 5am when she began to have contractions.

She said: “I had a bit of backache but put that down to the long shift.

“At about 5am I began to realise I was having contractions but as it was my first time I knew it would probably take a long time so I told Tim I was probably looking at giving birth maybe on Tuesday so I’d wait and see.

“I ran myself a bath and suddenly the contractions came on fast.

“I was laughing because it was so unexpected. The contractions just kept coming and coming.”

Applying a Tens machine, which helps control contractions, Mrs Clarke-Wood found herself crouched in her bathroom using her mum’s make-up mirror to guide her.

Paramedics were called but Esmay Clarke-Wood was born before they arrived, just after 7.30am on December 11, weighing 6lb 12oz (3.06kg).

Mrs Clarke-Wood, said: “For it to be that fast is pretty much unheard of. She was due on January 4 so a bit over three weeks early, but she’s doing fine. “Afterwards it was just like I was at work, I was clearing away the towels and putting on a cup of tea – Tim was just trying to get me to settle down.”

The midwife was due to go on maternity leave on December 16 and is planning to visit the ward over Christmas before the family emmigrate to western Australia in the new year.