New mum thanks call handler Anna

A call handler has been praised for her calm and reassuring words during a sudden home birth.

Little Reece Smith was in a hurry to enter the world – a week before his due date - when his mum Mallory Spencer went into labour in the early hours of 7^th September.

Within 30 minutes of calling 999, he was born before the arrival of a midwife or ambulance crew at the family home in Hockwold, Norfolk.

The delivery went so smoothly thanks to the instructions given over the phone by call handler Anna Wisken who helped Anita Spencer deliver her grandson.

Anna, who works at the Trust’s Norwich emergency operations centre, met with Reece’s grateful family and had a cuddle with the 11-week-old baby last week (24^th November).

The 999 call came in at 5.22am after Mallory’s labour quickly progressed and Reece was born at 5.47am.

Anna said it was only the second time she’d taken a call about a home birth in the 12 months she has worked for the Trust.

“It was such a nice feeling and I was ecstatic that it went so smoothly. It is great to have a call with such a positive outcome.

“We are trained for calls like these and there is so much support in the room. There was a clinical coordinator in the room chipping in with questions as well,” she said.

Mallory added that she “panicked” when she realised that her second child was going to be born at home. 

She said: “I’m happy with how it went, even though it was not how I wanted it. I wouldn’t do it again though!”

Ann Hamilton, who was also at the birth, said: “Anna was absolutely amazing and talked us through the safe arrival of our little grandson before an ambulance could get to us. She was so calm and professional and stayed on the phone until the ambulance arrived, even noting down the time of his birth which we had not even thought about at the time.”

Published 3rd December, 2015