A baby was born on the pavement outside the Royal Sussex County Hospital this week after a pregnant mother didn’t quite make it to the labour ward in time.
The mother, Kimberly Docherty, arrived at the hospital at about 10am on Monday morning.
But instead of a bed in the maternity ward, she instead found herself delivering her son Tommy on the pavement between the car park and the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital.
Today she said: “We are both doing very well.”
Medics held up blankets around Kimberly to give her some privacy – and when the baby was safely born, she was given a round of applause.
Maria Garrett was watching from a window in the children’s hospital. She said: “Someone said there’s a mum giving birth on the pavement outside, so we looked out the window.
“We could see about nine doctors around her and the lady was delivering on the pavement. The doctors were holding up blankets to give her some privacy.
“We watched from the window for about half an hour, and then she had a baby boy. It was a quick delivery. At the end, she got a round of applause.
“We saw the doctors pick the baby up and swaddle him and check he was okay. Then they put the mum on a stretcher and took her and the baby inside.
“It was a pretty amazing thing to see. It’s not every day you see a baby being born like that.”
A spokesman for the Royal Sussex said that mother and baby are doing well.
