Five minutes. Four deep breaths. Three nurses. Two pushes.
The arrival of a delightful baby girl for Azalea and Brooklyn Emery in Hutt Hospital’s Emergency Department was quick.
It was just after 2am on Tuesday 5 May—the early hours of this year’s International Day of the Midwife.
The couple, from Wainuiomata, had just dropped off their two-year-old daughter, Nivarna, at a family member’s house after Azalea’s contractions became stronger two hours earlier.
“When I was in Brooklyn’s ute on the way, her head was already there waiting for me to push,” Azalea said.
“As soon as I got there and lay down, I pushed and Amaia-Rayne’s head came out straight away, and then I pushed again and she was out."
“ED had no idea I was about to give birth in their department. The staff were awesome. They were coming in saying congratulations.” - Azalea Emery.
They called ahead to their midwife, Jill Adamson from New Beginnings Midwifery, who hurried down from waiting in the hospital’s maternity ward to guide Azalea through the birth.
“We whipped her into a room and In less than five minutes, the baby was out. Babies don’t know it’s a lock-down,“ Jill said.
Jill, who has been a midwife for almost 20 years, had only needed to deliver a baby in the ED just once before. On another occasion, she helped someone deliver in a car outside.
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Brooklyn and Azalea Emery at home with their daughters, Nivarna, 2, and newborn Amaia-Rayne.
“It’s mum that deserves the credit. She did amazingly well,” Jill said. “She was cool, calm and collected - so was dad.”
The delivery was a big change from the couple’s first daughter who arrived after a long 12 hours of labour.
“ED had no idea I was about to give birth in their department. The staff were awesome. They were coming in saying congratulations, ” Azalea said.
“At first I was a bit scared being in level four—when we got to level three, I was still a bit nervous. I wasn’t sure what to expect and if I would be in there longer or shorter, but the staff were awesome.”
Azalea said that after the birth, she was moved to the maternity ward. She chose to go home about 4pm that afternoon.
The family are now settling back in at home. They are planning to bury the placenta in the backyard at Azalea’s parent’s house.
“I’m loving having a new baby. It does get tiring, but I love it. Now I’m just getting them both into a routine.”
See our website for more information on what to expect when you are pregnant.
