Baby born on motorway layby after mum is turned away from two hospitals 'at capacity'

Unlucky Hannah Rowlinson, 32, from Holmes Chapel, faced every obstacle going when it came to getting to the hospital to give birth.

First Hannah, along with her husband Joel, 36, and mum Jean Tarry, 65, were turned away from two maternity units which were at capacity – so started the 45 minute drive to a third.

But the road was closed due to flooding and a landslide – and then their sat nav ran out of battery – before they got stuck in a traffic jam.

They pulled into a housing estate and Hannah’s mum knocked on doors asking for help – while Joel prepared to deliver his baby in the back of their car.

An ambulance arrived just as Viola was starting to appear – but it was too late to get her to hospital so paramedics pulled into a layby, after rushing down the M6 at 90mph.

Little Viola – so called after her purple face when she was born – was perfectly healthy, and the paramedics even posed for a photo when they eventually got to hospital.

Hannah, a teacher at a Wilmslow school, said: “It honestly doesn’t sound real when I talk about it, it’s like a scene in a film but you really couldn’t make it up.

“By the time the ambulance got to me, we were running out of time and as we were speeding on the motorway at 90mph I just felt this urge to push.

“Viola’s head popped out, the ambulance swerved over into a layby as I gave one more push and she was out.”

Teachers Hannah and Joel, were over the moon when they found out they were expecting a baby in March 2019.

The couple had tied the knot in July 2014 and were already parents to son Sebastian, two, so were excited to welcome a new addition to their family.

Her due date came and went, and it wasn’t until Hannah was six days overdue that she finally went into labour on October 24.

Hannah’s contractions were slow and far apart so it wasn’t until 8pm the next day they phoned the hospital to send a midwife for their planned home water birth.

With no midwives free, they went into Leighton Hospital but were sent home because she was only 2cm dilated.

The next day she was ready to go in again, but both Leighton Hospital and Macclesfield District General Hospital were at capacity.

The couple were sent to Royal Stoke University Hospital – 45 minutes from their home.

Climbing into the car with Hannah’s mum Jean, in tow, they headed to join the M6 at Junction 18, only to be met by a huge traffic jam.

When they finally reached the motorway, the trio realised the junction had been closed by police due to floods and a mudslide.

Diverted towards Sandbach, the family were stuck in gridlocked traffic as Hannah’s contractions grew more intense.

As if it couldn’t get any worse, Joel’s phone which they were using for directions ran out of battery and the group were forced to make a decision.

Hannah said: “It was completely gridlocked, there was surface water everywhere and we were driving down these bumpy flooded country roads to try and approach Stoke via Sandbach.

“My contractions were getting so close together, so as we sat in traffic, my mum phoned for an ambulance.

“We pulled into a housing estate in Sandbach so the ambulance could locate us, and I could just feel the baby was coming soon.”

Thankfully, the ambulance arrived before the baby did and two paramedics, Garry and Dave, helped a barefoot Hannah into the ambulance.

By this point, Hannah’s baby was crowning and it was rush time to get to the hospital which was still 19 miles away.

But their baby wasn’t waiting any longer, and as they sped along the motorway at 90mph, Hannah’s baby made her appearance.

Hannah said: “Garry pulled over into this layby and with one more push, I’d delivered my baby in the back of the ambulance with Dave and Joel beside me.

“Our paramedics were amazing, they came into the hospital with us, checking we were OK and even posed for a photo with us.

“I never expected to give birth in an ambulance, but I just had this feeling the whole time that it would be OK, and now our little family is complete and I’m so happy.”