Bump in the road: how to deliver a baby in an emergency

‘Babies deliver themselves, nature’s very good at that,’ says Clare Livingstone of the Royal College of Midwives. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

The M25 does not feature in many birth plans, but for one woman who gave birth to her baby boy on the roadside after a coach crash on the M25 on Monday, that was the reality. So, what can you do if you find yourself having to deliver a baby when there are no experts around to do it? Clare Livingstone, a professional policy adviser for the Royal College of Midwives, who has delivered a baby on the back seat of a car, has lots of advice.

The mother will naturally try and catch the baby, too, and that’s absolutely fine

Reassure her

“This will be very frightening for the mother. Your first job is to stay calm and help her accept that this is what is happening to her, and that she needs to try to get control of the situation as best she can. Reassure her by saying: ‘Your baby is being born, soon your baby will be in your arms, help is on its way,’” says Livingstone. Call 999 for help at the first sign of her feeling an irresistible urge to push, and stay with her.

Let nature do the work

If you’re in a public area, direct people away and try to construct a barrier to protect the mother’s dignity. “Then just stand by and watch and wait,” says Livingstone. “Babies deliver themselves, nature is very good at that, and if a baby is being born quickly it will do just that.”

Related: Experience: I gave birth in an Uber

Create a soft landing

Once you start to see the baby’s head, make sure it will be born on to a clean, soft surface or into your arms. “The mother will naturally try to catch the baby, too, and that’s absolutely fine,” says Livingstone. As soon as the baby is born, place it on the breast – when the baby latches on, it triggers the release of oxytocin, which contracts the uterus and reduces the risk of any bleeding.

Wrap a coat around baby and mother to keep them both warm: this is very important. Don’t pull, or put any tension on, the umbilical cord, which will still be delivering nutrients from the placenta to the baby. If help hasn’t arrived within 40 minutes, the mum may get an urge to push again, in which case she can naturally deliver the placenta by herself.

And remember: this might not be the way any mum plans to have a baby – but it sure does make for a good story.