- Sophie Holmes, 28, was told to go home twice in one day by midwives
- They told her that her baby wouldn’t arrive as her cervix was still closed
- She and her husband were advised to go home and have a hot bath
- After feeling something on the toilet, she saw her baby’s head sticking out
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
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A pregnant woman nearly gave birth into the toilet after being sent home twice in one day by midwives.
Sophie Holmes, 28, went to hospital just three days into her maternity leave when her waters broke and she began having contractions.
But staff at the hospital said there was no way her baby would arrive 14 days early, because her cervix was still closed.
Instead, they told her to go home and have a hot bath.
But an hour after arriving home Mrs Holmes was sitting on the loo and, upon feeling something, sprang to her feet.
First-time-mother Sophie Holmes, 28, from Southend (left), was sent home from hospital after staff told her there was no way her baby Olivia (right) would arrive 14 days early because her cervix was still closed
To her surprise, she looked down to see her baby’s head as she managed to catch her newborn baby girl before she hit the bathroom tiles.
Mrs Holmes, an operations executive from Southend, Essex, said: ‘I don’t know why, but I shot up from the toilet and felt a head sticking out.
‘The next thing I know my baby fell out and I managed to catch her within seconds. I’m just grateful I saved her, but furious at the hospital.
‘I had to have my baby alone in the bathroom and she could have gone down the toilet.’
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Before the arrival of baby Olivia – who was healthy and weighed 7lb 13oz – Mrs Holmes and her husband Dan had been sent home from Southend University Hospital twice that day.
They left both times on advice that the birth was a long way off, despite her waters breaking.
Mrs Holmes added: ‘The hospital handled this so badly. I’m a first-time-mother and I should have been treated better.
‘I was so scared, I didn’t know what was happening or what I was expecting.’
Since the birth, on April 18, Mrs Holmes and her partner have registered a formal complaint with the hospital.
‘We shudder at the thought of what could have happened if I hadn’t caught Olivia.’
Before the arrival of baby Olivia – who was healthy and weighed 7lb 13oz – Mrs Holmes and her husband Dan had been sent home from Southend University Hospital twice that day
Mrs Holmes felt something while on the toilet which made her spring to her feet. She looked down to see her baby’s head, as she managed to catch her newborn baby girl before she hit the bathroom tiles, pictured
They left both times on advice that the birth was a long way off, despite her waters breaking. Staff advised her to go home and have a hot bath, pictured on their wedding day
‘Dan took a day off work for the complaint hearing, only to be told it had been rescheduled. We just feel so let down.’
Southend University Hospital claims it is investigating Mrs Holmes’ case.
Denise Townsend, associate chief nurse said: ‘We are sorry Mrs Holmes is unhappy with the care she received from Southend University Hospital.
‘We are meeting with her so we can discuss the concerns she has about the care she received during and after her labour and investigate accordingly.’
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