By Charlene Kelly

WHEN GLENROTHES woman Lindsay Syme went into labour she thought she would have plenty of time to get to the hospital and called on her big sister, Brenda, to keep her company.

What the mum-to-be didn’t realise was that her eager little bundle of joy was about to make a speedy entry into the world and that Brenda would have to take on the role of midwife.

Lindsay (28) said, “My contractions started about 8.30 in the morning and I phoned Brenda straight away—even before I phoned the hospital.

“When she got here I phoned Forth Park Hospital and spoke to a midwife. I told her I felt very sore and needed to get to hospital but she told me that I didn’t sound too advanced and I should wait until my contractions were three minutes apart before sending for an ambulance.

“She told me it cost £700 to send out an ambulance which might be pointless if I just needed to come home again.

Two hours passed and Lindsay, who was still in a lot of pain, decided to go to the toilet.

“I felt an overwhelming need to push and the next thing I knew I could see my baby’s head.

“I started panicking and shouted for Brenda to phone for an ambulance.

“After that, I just remember screaming at her that I didn’t want my baby to be born at home—I desperately wanted to get to the hospital.”

Mum-of-three Brenda (30) said, “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I managed to get through to the control room where a woman talked me through what to do. She was brilliant and really helped to keep me calm.

“She told me to get her to lie down on the bed and I could see the baby’s head.

Brenda added, “I was shaking and was so worried something might go wrong, but I have always wanted to be a midwife and had read a lot about childbirth which I think really helped.

“Lindsay kept saying she needed to push and the woman in the control room said that was fine.”

Minutes later baby Kelsey was born weighing 7lbs 10.

Brenda said, “It was amazing, watching my little niece be born.”

Lindsay’s son Arron (10) also played a key role in the event by wrapping his new baby sister in a clean towel to keep her warm, while his younger brother Daniel (7) and Brenda’s three sons, Michael (9), Lewis (8) and Josh (6) waited in the doorway.

Minutes later the ambulance arrived and cut the cord before transferring mum and baby to Forth Park where they stayed for five days so staff could monitor Kelsey’s weight.

Lindsay said, “I am so grateful to Brenda for staying so calm throughout the birth and for delivering my beautiful baby girl safely into the world.

“The whole experience was so surreal but the thing I can’t believe most of all is how on earth I managed to do it all without any pain relief.”