Yarrawonga couple Alannah Ellery and Mark Ratcliffe had quite the surprise last month when their first child, Willow, was born in the back of an ambulance.
On 29 December, Alannah had not long returned from an appointment with her midwife when she started having contractions.
“I was eight days overdue but knew that labour could take a while for a first-time mum,” she said.
“I had spontaneous contractions but after a few hours they stopped.”
Lucy Montague, Mark Ratcliffe, Alannah Ellery and Amy Hopkins with baby Willow.
Speaking to her midwife and sister-in-law over the phone, Alannah thought she must have been in false labour, but three hours later her baby was on her way.
“All of a sudden my contractions went from zero to 100 and I didn’t think we were going to make it to the hospital,” she said.
Alannah’s parents and partner wasted no time calling Triple Zero (000) with Ambulance Victoria (AV) paramedics, Lucy Montague and Amy Hopkins quickly arriving on scene.
Alannah was promptly loaded into the ambulance and was on the way to the hospital when baby Willow decided she couldn’t wait any longer.
“We made it five minutes down the road before they pulled over and she was born,” she said.
Lucy Montague and Amy Hopkins with baby Willow.
This was Lucy’s first time supporting a baby delivery as a paramedic and she said it was certainly a career highlight.
“It was definitely one of the most emotional scenes I’ve been a part of,” she said.
“To be there for the birth of someone’s baby is a very special moment and not something we see every day. We were so happy the baby arrived safely and without complications.
“I’m very grateful to have been able to be a part of such an important day for the family.”
Alannah described Willow as a happy, easy-going baby, who loves being in the car.
“The driving soothes her – we always joke that it’s because she was born in the back of the ambulance,” she said.
