Woman gives birth in eight minutes

7:09pm Monday 24th September 2007

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A mum gave birth at home in eight minutes flat - half way through a dinner party.

Former teacher Susannah Kendrick, 29, began having contractions as she and her guests prepared to tuck into a home-made lamb curry.

One of her friends, Anna Harrap, ended up delivering the child which "flew out" after just three pushes and before the ambulance arrived.

And the amazed guests were left at the home in Hove to finish off the food as Susannah headed for hospital, yelling: "The rhubarb crumble is in the fridge".

Susannah and her husband Paul, 36, threw the dinner party so they could see their friends socially before the birth of their third child.

But the mother, of Radinden Manor Road, Hove, who was eight and a half months pregnant, did not even make it to the main course and Trinity was born weighing 6lb, 1oz.

The full-time mum said: "I feel like I have cheated the system really. All these people talk about 24-hour labours and mine was only eight minutes.

"If anything it is to be recommended. I feel quite smug to be honest."

At the beginning of the evening Susannah and Paul, an estate agent, joked to dinner guests Anna and Duncan Harrap that she could go into labour that night.

She said: "Paul was asking them if they had brought their doctors' gloves with them. We were also laughing about how curry can induce labour."

The arjee bhajee began half an hour later when she experienced several twinges and friends convinced her to visit the labour ward at Royal Sussex County in Brighton.

She said: "At 8.15 I went upstairs to get my shoes, went to the bathroom and as I went I felt an enormous contraction from nothing.

"My husband heard me and came running upstairs."

Close friend Anna, 34, a teacher at Hurstpierpoint College, called an ambulance. But because the contractions were so close she knew that she and Susannah would have to deliver the baby themselves and an ambulance operator dictated instructions to them.

Anna said: "It was really frightening but you don't think about what could've happened until afterwards.

"I would never have chosen to help someone in their delivery but when it starts happening you can't abandon your friend."

Susannah, who taught at Brighton and Hove School for Girls, was lifted onto the bed where she had two more contractions. During the first the baby's head popped out and after the second the baby was born.

Anna said: "Paul literally caught his daughter as she entered the world. She almost flew out it was only three pushes."

Four minutes later an ambulance crew arrived and delivered the placenta and cut the baby's umbilical chord.

Ever the host, Susannah parting shot to friends as she stepped into the ambulance were: "The rhubarb crumble is in the fridge". Anna said: "My husband and I stayed at the house and cleaned up and ate the rest of the dinner. We just sat there in stunned silence."

Sussanah, who gave birth on August 10, was taken in the ambulance to the The Royal Sussex County Hospital where she spent the night. She said: "Afterwards your body plays catch up so I had an hour's worth of contractions. I had gas and air in the ambulance on the way to the hospital having done all the hard work.

"The midwife who has worked on the labour unit for 15 years said she's never come across a baby being delivered that quickly before."

Senior midwife at Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath Jenny Cleary said it was unusual to have such a short labour. She said: "It's unusual but it's not unheard of and it varies from one woman to another. Labour can be totally unpredictable. We know hormone levels change but we don't know what makes it easier. It's not an exact science at all but we often tell people to have curry to help them go into labour."

Founder of the Curry Club Pat Chapman said he had never heard of curry inducing labour before. He said: "Lucky her is what I say. If it's true she should copyright the idea as a tip for expectant mothers.

"Spices are used in a lot of natural remedies like cloves for tooth ache. They've very good for the body so I wouldn't poo-poo it totally. Funnier things have happened."

Top Ten baby's curry dishes Chicken Vinda-goo goo Cha-potties Chicken Kor-Ma Ma Papa-dom Chicken Tickle Massala Lamb Sag-wailer Chicken Mad-rash Chicken Bal-teet Peeka-Bhuna Tarka Doll Can you do better than our list? Or do you have a special story about your baby's birth? Call the newsdesk on 01273544519 or leave your comments and suggestions below.