NT paramedics help deliver two Palmerston baby girls in 48 hours
Two Palmerston families were guided through their births by St John paramedics after their little ones were in a rush to arrive.
Stacey Brosnan and her partner Rui Lopes Morato were getting ready to go to Royal Darwin Hospital for the birth of their second child when Stacey realised they needed a new plan fast.
In the time it took to pack a bag, her contractions, which were already intense, has sped up dramatically.
“By the time we prepared ourselves to hop in the car, I quickly realised that we weren’t going to make it,” the mum-of-two said.
“So rather than choosing to have a baby on the side of the road, we thought we would call the ambulance and just stay where we were comfortable.
“There was zero chance I was hopping in a car at that point.”
Her partner Rui called Triple-0 at 11.30am on Saturday, July 19.
A team arrived at their home in Zuccoli within 20 minutes to help support the couple.
Just 12 minutes later, their baby girl, Indi, was born.
“I wasn’t so worried about having her at home,” Stacey said.
“But I was definitely relieved when the paramedics arrived.
“It was just good to know there was someone else there to take control of the situation if any intervention needs to take place.
“They were just able to assess what was happening and reassured us that the baby was coming now and we were going to deliver her there.
“They also guided and encouraged us that everything was going to be OK.
“We are ever so grateful for the paramedics.
“Even just the calm environment and the communication between the team and stuff, we just had a really positive experience all around which was lovely.”
The 31-year-old mum and baby were taken to Royal Darwin Hospital afterwards to be checked, but 10 days later, Stacey said they were both doing well.
“We’ve been discharged from the midwife program because she’s surpassed her birth weight within the first three days, which is uncommon.
“She’s packing on the weight and happy and healthy.”
Durack baby delivery talked through over the phone
Indi’s entry to the world was not the last home birth St John crews would face that week.
On Monday at 1.48am, St John NT’s Emergency Communications Centre received another cry for help from first time mum Jade Brady-Bye and partner Laythan Wilson in Durack.
A crew was sent but it seems this baby girl was in even more of a rush.
In the end, Eamon Kelly, an Emergency Medical Dispatcher with St John NT had to talk them through delivery over the phone.
Thankfully it was his second time doing this.
Describing the “intense” experience, Laythan said Eamon was amazing.
“I had Eamon on the phone in one ear, giving me instructions for what to do, and Jade in the other giving birth,” he said.
“Eamon was definitely who I needed.
“It was so stressful, but I just had to do what he said, and he reassured me ‘we’ll get through this’.”
Their healthy baby girl, Kinsley, just beat the paramedics arriving by one minute and was born at 2.01am.
She and mum Jade were again transported to Royal Darwin Hospital for further care.
It is not the first time St John NT staff have been called upon to help deliver babies in the Territory.
Over the past three financial years, St John NT said paramedics and EMDs had helped deliver 44 babies.
As someone who has been in that position himself, St John NT director Ambulance Services, Andrew Thomas said it was always a job highlight.
“It’s a privilege to help bring new life into the world; one I’ve had a few times as an on-road paramedic,” Mr Thomas said.
“The dedication of our team ensures families feel safe and supported, which is vital in
these unplanned circumstances.”
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