Community midwife Julie Shaw had to help with the birth of her grandchild after visiting her son and his partner at their home in Mansfield.

Beth Islip, 25, was four days overdue with her second baby when she started to notice lower abdominal cramps and wondered if it was the start of contractions.

She called Julie, her partner Lee Shaw’s mum and a midwife at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust, to ask if the pains sounded like the start of labour.

Julie offered to stay overnight and look after their daughter, Evie, in case the couple had to go to hospital.

When Julie got there Beth’s waters broke. Julie called her colleague and Beth’s community midwife, Jill Kingswood, and asked her to come over with gas and air.

But within 13 minutes of Julie’s arrival, Beth had given birth to her new 8lb 9oz baby boy, Alfie, and had him cradled safely in her arms.

Julie said: “When I arrived at Beth and Lee’s home I was really surprised to see that Beth had gone from cramps just minutes earlier to having the urge to push.

“When her waters broke we knew there was no time to get to the hospital so I called Jill. By the time Jill arrived, Beth was pushing and she gave birth to baby Alfie in her living room without any pain relief.

“I was only meant to be going to look after my granddaughter, Evie, in case Beth and Lee had to go to hospital during the night but as it happened I ended up being present to witness the birth of my grandson. It was such a lovely, magical moment.”

Beth added: “It was such a special moment having Alfie’s grandma deliver him. It was all very surreal.

“I spent my first night with my new baby in the comfort of my own home.

“Having a home birth wasn’t something I had considered beforehand, but I wouldn’t have had Alfie’s birth any other way.”