Take a special delivery, neighbour?

Published: 23 September, 2010
by DAN CARRIER

EVERYBODY needs good neighbours. And never has an adage been truer if you suddenly go into labour and your estate happens to be home to a recently retired midwife.

As baby Ivy prepared to greet the world on Friday night, Sarah Glover and Edward Barker, who  live in Rowley Way, Swiss Cottage, realised  they didn’t have time to rush to St Mary’s Hos­pital in Paddington. 

But help was at hand –  just a few doors down lives Elizabeth Knowles. 

Ms Knowles was a midwife at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital for nine years, but hung up her forceps a month ago to retire and enjoy a well-earned holiday in Canada. 

On her return, she suddenly found herself called back into action and helping bring little Ivy safely into her parents’ arms.

Proud mum Sarah, an English teacher at Chalk Farm’s Haverstock School, had not expected her second child to come on Friday. She had collected daughter Izri from nursery school at 5.30pm and was settling down for a quiet night in. 

“I felt fine all day, but by the early evening I started getting a few pains,” said Sarah. 

“During the evening they started getting stronger but I still wasn’t sure whether this was really labour or not.”

Sarah soon realised there was little time to get to hospital.

She added: “Suddenly, at around 10pm, I realised I was in labour and she was most definitely on her way.”

Edward, an architect, rushed home. He said: “We thought we’d get into a cab and go to hospital – but we couldn’t find anyone quick enough to come round and look after Izri.”

It was then that he struck on an idea and decided to call Elizabeth, who he knew was an experienced midwife, for advice. He also rang for an ambulance. Elizabeth said she’d be straight round while Edward spoke to medics on the phone.

He said: “They sent an ambulance and also spoke to me about what to do. I have to admit it was mildly terrifying when they said, ‘get some towels’.”

By this time, Sarah was lying on a bed and her contractions were coming thick and fast. 

Edward said: “I had a look and there was a little head emerging while I was on the phone.”

Paramedics arrived but by this time it was not possible to move Sarah – so Elizabeth stepped in.

She said: “I picked up the phone when Ed called and I could hear the urgency in his voice. I said, ‘I’ll be round in three minutes’.” 

She added: “When the paramedics arrived I said ‘I want to go to hospital’. They said to me, ‘sorry, but that is just not going to happen now’. Elizabeth took control of the situation, and calmed me down a lot. They were both fantastic – although I could see the panic in Ed’s eyes.”

Ed and Elizabeth made sure Ivy’s arrival was safe – and Ed even had the honour of cutting his daughter’s umbilical chord. 

Elizabeth said: “I could see as soon as I got there the arrival of little Ivy was imminent. I realised the urgency of the situation and dealt with it. I realised I had to become a midwife again. She got here within seven minutes of my turning up.”

And this was not the first time Elizabeth had delivered a child at home. She has helped scores of babies into the world, and as a community midwife, has done so in the comfort of people’s bedrooms. 

She added: “However, normally home births are properly planned.”

Baby Ivy has two ­middle names that mark their neighbour’s role in her arrival and the place she was born – her other monikers are Elizabeth and Neave, after the renowned Neave Brown, an architect who built designed the listed estate where little Ivy was born. 

Sarah said: “We ­wanted to thank Elizabeth for all she did.”