»A shop in Upminster had a very special – and unexpected – delivery at the weekend: a baby boy.
Brayden Tucker was born, with the help of staff, on the floor of Bells Blinds, in St Mary’s Lane, on Saturday afternoon.
Manager Audrey Peters used display cushions and her own cardigan to help mum-to-be Rosalie Young get comfortable as she delivered the healthy tot at 12.30pm.
The drama started when Rosalie, who lives above the shop, went into labour five days early and made her way downstairs for help.
The 26-year-old, who is also mother to four-year-old Onia, said: “I just thought ‘I can’t give birth here, I need to be in a hospital’
“I was lying on the floor, and Audrey telling me everything was going to be fine, she was brilliant.”
Audrey rang the emergency services at 11.30am and an operator had to talk the 47-year-old through the labour as she waited for help.
Paramedics arrived 15 minutes before 7lb Brayden was born, delivering him four minutes before dad Ryan Tucker turned up.
Audrey a mum of two, whose children were born by Caesarean section, said: “It was my first sight of baby being born.
“It was the most exciting day of my life.
“I pulled the blinds down in the shop and I stuck a note on the door saying ‘sorry shop closed, baby being born’.
“I wasn’t frightened by the idea of the birth, or the sight of the baby, just about what would happen afterwards, and that mum and baby were going to be okay.
“Rosalie did so well: she was hanging on to the leg of a table, making a groaning noise, but she wasn’t screaming or swearing.
“I told her there were worse places to give birth and not to worry.
“At one stage my manager phoned to ask about the shop, I had to tell him I was too busy birthing!”
Rosalie, who didn’t need to go to hospital after the birth, was attended to by a midwife in her flat.
“I’m just glad it all happened so quickly;” said Rosalie. “I had pre-eclampsia with my other pregnancy so I was quite nervous and I just wanted to be with a doctor or midwife - but actually it worked out so well in the end,
“My family told me ‘this sort of thing would only happen to you’.”
She added; “As well as Audrey, I really want to thank the paramedics. I have a perfect baby boy.”
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