A NEW mum from Malvern has spoken about how she gave birth to her first child while on the phone to the NHS 111 service – despite not even knowing she was pregnant.

When Hilary Crump from Michael Crescent started experiencing severe abdominal pain early in the morning on Sunday, February 16 she had no idea she was about to give birth.

Her partner Karl Ford called the non-emergency NHS 111 number and spoke to health adviser Christine Lees, who quickly realised Hilary was going into labour and talked him through the delivery.

Hilary, aged 26, said the experience was “really scary”.

“I didn’t know I was pregnant and there was no reason to think I was, but I was convinced it was definitely contractions,” she said.

“I’d never felt pain like it and I knew right away what it was.

“I thought something horrendous was happening to me, but it turned out to be something wonderful.”

Karl, aged 37, said Hilary had only finished work at about 11pm and just hours later was giving birth.

“Hilary was crouching over the toilet and Benjamin tried to dive in head-first like Tom Daley,” he said. “I had to catch him.

“It was a surprise, but a wonderful one.

“Not many dads know they are about to have a child while they are delivering them.”

Baby Benjamin arrived within 23 minutes at 4.58am and an ambulance arrived shortly after to take him and Hilary to Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Karl said: “All the midwives and the rest of the team at the hospital were brilliant.

“They’ve all said I should become a midwife but I’d rather stick to being a bean counter than catching babies.”

Christine, who had only been working for NHS 111 for three months when she received the call, said, although she had been trained to deal with women in labour, she had not expected to have to talk someone through a delivery.

“She initially phoned with abdominal pain,” she said.

“I asked her if it was possible she was pregnant and she said there was no way. Before I knew it she was screaming saying ‘something’s coming out of me’.

“I had a little bit of a break afterwards and then went back to work.

“I was just coughs and colds for the rest of the day which I quite appreciated.

“I want to be a paramedic so I hope next time this happens I can deal with it in person.”

More than three weeks later mum and baby are both doing well.