A COOKLEY family have spoken about a dramatic birth which involved a telephone tutorial from a 999 operator and the arrival of a son in the ambulance en route to hospital.

Emma Moore, her partner Julian Metzger and her mum Tania had a race against the clock in the early hours of last Wednesday when baby Zebulun came earlier than expected. Julian Metzger, Emma Moore and Tanis Moore at home with baby Zebulun.

Emma had previously been told by doctors she would have at least 12 hours after her waters broke before birth.

However, after they broke - over Ollie the family cat - her labour pains quickly intensified leading to a frantic family brainstorming session, a birth tutorial from a 999 operator and a new son - all within two hours.

Emma, 32, explained: "I was asleep downstairs on the sofa, sitting upright, when my waters broke. I decided not to wake anyone but then the pains came. That was about quarter-to-four in the morning.

"I woke Julian up and after that it was one long contraction."

Julian, 35, said: "She was screaming, then she said she was going to have her baby there and then.

"I thought "oh God". It was not something I had expected, the baby wasn't due for another two days.

"I called 999. They said it sounded like I was going to have to deliver the baby myself."

Neighbour Tania raced over to see her daughter "almost having a baby on the sitting room floor".

Luckily the ambulance soon arrived at the house in Lionfields Road, but by then Emma was all-but-ready to give birth to her second son.She already has a toddler, Reuben.

She said: "Zebulun's head came out by the Old Cat pub on the way to Wordsley Hospital. I was going to hang on until the hospital but I couldn't.

"The paramedic later told me it was the first time in his 17-year career he had delivered a baby en-route. His face was a picture but he was brilliant."

Zebulun weighed in at 8lb 10oz and was in his new home by Thursday morning, sporting a middle name courtesy of "Andrew" the paramedic.

"He's doing great," said Emma, "It's certainly something he'll be reminded about when he grows up!"