It was not their intended method of giving birth to Eva Rai.
Therefore, it was somewhat of a shock when mother Chantelle Edmund, 26, gave birth at home unexpectedly—on the “Welcome” mat, no less—especially for Chantelle’s other daughter, Keira Jade, and niece, Ellie-Mai.
When Keira, an 8-year-old, called for help, she said to the call handler, “My mum has just had an alien on the floor!” Ellie-Mai, nine, was the only one to respond, “It’s not an alien, it’s a frog!”
After getting over their shock and recognizing the true identity of the newcomer, the girls banded together to bring Chantelle water and towels.
Chantelle’s mother Susan, 44, and sister Serrina, 24, came a short while after, closely trailed by paramedics. Before the ambulance sent Chantelle and Eva Rai to Calderdale Royal Hospital for an examination, Serrina severed the umbilical cord.
Chantelle stated, “I was going to have a planned water birth at HRI with my mum as my birth partner – but it didn’t happen like that.” Chantelle lives in Lindley, practically across from Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
Eva Rai arrived more than two weeks ahead of schedule; her actual birthday is not until March 10.
“Keira and Ellie-May were both in bed when the contractions started at 10pm,” stated Chantelle. “I rang my mum, who lives in Cleckheaton, and I shouted for my daughter to come downstairs. My waters broke and the baby was born at 10.35pm on the ‘welcome’ mat at the bottom of the stairs. It all happened so quickly.”
“Keira was horrified. She is just mortified by how babies are born. Until a few weeks ago, she thought they were born through a magic door in my tummy! Now she is besotted with the baby. She loves her little sister – and Keira’s the talk of the school.”
Even though Chantelle, a home care provider who was not even supposed to begin maternity leave until this month, stated that Eva Rai had grown to her birth weight, she still only weighed 4 pounds, 12 ounces at birth, “She is up to her birth weight now. She is amazing. She has not cried for anything other than her feed.”
According to Chantelle, Keira was asked if she wanted to become a midwife when she grew up by the personnel at Reinwood Junior School. “But she said, no, it’s too disgusting!”
According to Chantelle, Keira begged her to be able to attend the hospital birth, but she told her that was not going to happen. But in the end, she fulfilled her wish!
