An 11-year-old became an impromptu midwife when she single-handedly delivered her mother’s new baby – before going to school as normal.
Caitlin Burke called the ambulance after her mother, Tara Knightley, went into labour minutes after Knightley’s partner had left the house at 5am on Tuesday.
The schoolgirl, from Tamworth, near Birmingham, was given advice over the phone on how to guide her mother through the birth. Her new sister, Elsa-Monet, was born at 7.17am.
Once Caitlin had delivered the baby, she unravelled the umbilical cord, which had wrapped around her sister, and handed Elsa-Monet to her mother. Unperturbed by the experience, the 11-year-old then headed off to school for the day.
Caitlin, the eldest of five children, said she had been “scared and shaky at first because I had never seen anything like that before in my life”. But she added: “When my sister was born, I was really happy. I think she’s really cute and I love her very much.”
She said seeing the birth of her younger sister had inspired her to want to become a midwife when she grows up. She said: “My friends at school and the teachers were really happy and proud of me.”
Knightley spoke of her pride at her daughter bravely stepping in for the delivery. She said that even though she had been screaming in pain throughout the labour, Caitlin had stayed calm.
She said: “Caitlin was just amazing. I find it difficult to put into words just what she has done for me. I started getting contractions so my partner left to take my youngest to his sister’s house. But within 10 minutes of him leaving, my waters broke.
“I knew that as soon as that happened it wouldn’t be long before the baby was born. I told Caitlin to call for an ambulance, and they were telling her what to do over the phone. I was screaming in pain but Caitlin was calm throughout.
“I don’t know what I would have done if Caitlin had not been there. I couldn’t do what Caitlin has done at my age, let alone at the age of 11. She has such a bond with her baby sister now. She can’t leave her alone and keeps saying how much she loves her.”