A young first-time mother had a dramatic introduction to childbirth last weekend when a staff shortage at Inverell Hospital meant she was unexpectedly transferred to Armidale.
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Paige Delanty was taken to Inverell Hospital by her mother on Thursday evening with labour pains and said she was told by staff that they would try to delay the birth so she could have the baby in Inverell as there was no anesthetist available until Tuesday.
An anesthetist needs to be available in case an emergency caesarian delivery is required.
Her mother, Amanda Delanty, said Miss Delanty's labour progressed overnight. On Friday morning, her doctor examined her and said she was in active labour and needed to be sent to Armidale Hospital immediately.
Mrs Delanty said the news sent her daughter's whole body into shock.
"She said Mum, I just started shaking and panicking, and they had to put warm blankets on me to calm me down," Mrs Delanty said.
"She said she felt like she was in a movie, having contractions and being pushed through a hospital into an ambulance without her partner Nathan with her."
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Ms Delanty was accompanied in the ambulance by an Inverell Hospital midwife while her mother drove her partner Nathan to Armidale Hospital.
"The local paramedics and midwife that transported her were an incredible support," Mrs Delanty said.
"But the trip was quite traumatic for her, and I was driving to Armidale trying to assure her partner that he wouldn't miss the birth. So it was quite emotional, and I'm still upset about the whole thing."
In the end, Miss Delanty was able to have a water birth at Armidale Hospital with Nathan by her side, and the couple are now proud parents of a girl named Victoria.
However, Mrs Delanty is concerned that this was not an unusual occurrence, and other women were 'ferried' up and down the highway on the same day.
A spokesperson for Hunter New England Health said the situation did not occur regularly, but this was standard procedure when there were staff shortages.
"Sometimes these things do happen, and on short notice, we might not be able to have an anesthetist, particularly with the current COVID environment," they said.
"On the weekend, we had a total of three expecting mothers transferred. Two of those were high risk, and regardless of the staff coverage, they would have been transferred, which was already arranged with them.
"A senior midwife gives a thorough examination, and if there's any risk that a mother is going to give birth en route, they'll remain at the hospital."
Mrs Delanty said she had nothing but praise for the doctors and medical staff who helped deliver her grandchild, but was disappointed her daughter did not have the support team she had developed a relationship with.
"She had her baby in a completely different hospital with people she didn't know, without her midwives and her doctor, and without the people that have cared for her," Mrs Delanty said.
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