'I had to keep mummy calm':How girl, 6, helped deliver her sister when mother went into labour... thanks to watching CASUALTY

*. Francesca Goodby, of Birmingham, calmly talked mother Kay through birth
*. Helped mother with breathing, encouraged her to push and fetched towels
*. The girl even made sure umbilical cord wasn't wrapped around baby's head
*. Francesca says her friends said 'wow' andher teacher was 'really impressed'

A six-year-old girl delivered her own sister when she was woken up by her mother who had gone labour on the bathroom floor at home - thanks to watching an episode of BBC drama Casualty.

Francesca Goodby calmly talked her mother Kay, 28, through the sudden birth after her waters broke in Bearwood, West Midlands - while her father Michael, 33, was calling 999.

She helped her panicking mother with her breathing, encouraging her to push, fetched her clean towels and even made sure the umbilical cord was not wrapped around the baby’s head.

Francesca leapt into action in July after recalling an episode of Casualty when a woman suddenly went into labour. After 12 minutes of pushing, 6lbs 8oz baby Roisin hadbeen delivered.

The schoolgirl said: ‘I had to keep mummy calm. I didn’t want the cord to be wrapped around her neck because she might have died and I held her when she was born to keep her safe.

‘I don’t know how I knew about it but I do watch Casualty and like it a lot. My friends at school all said “wow” and my teacher was really impressed with me.'

When two ambulances arrived, paramedics were stunned to find Francesca - who wants to be a doctor when she is older - holding her newborn sister after carefully wrapping her in a towel.

Shop assistant Mrs Goodby said yesterday: ‘I was so impressed with Francesca. She was remarkably cool and collected for a six-year-old.

'She had gone to bed but woke up when I started screaming.
‘She came in and was like “mummy are you okay?” and said “I can see the head”. She was keeping me calm and telling me where to put my hands and telling me to keep breathing.

‘As soon as she was born she got a towel andit was like she knew what to do - I didn’t say anything to her. Francesca had her wrapped up and made sure the cord wasn’t wrapped around her neck.

‘My husband was downstairs on the phone for 12 minutes and a few minutes after she was born two ambulances turned up. They were shocked that Francesca was holding her in towels.’

She added that her daughter must have learned how to deliver a baby by watching Casualty - and when they saw a recent episode where a lady gave birth, Francesca said: ‘That’s your story, mummy.’

Mrs Goodby started having contractions every20 minutes on July 16. The next day she went to her chosen birthing centre but was discharged because she was only in the early stages of labour.

Once at home, she said she called her midwife 10 times to say her contractions were stronger and lasting longer - but was told her labour wasn’t advanced because she could speak normally.

However at around 9.30pm, Mrs Goodby noticed she was bleeding - but she said the birthing centre told her they would probably discharge her if she came in again.

'I don’t know how I knew about it but I do watch Casualty and like it a lot. My friends at school all said “wow” and my teacher was really impressed'
- Francesca Goodby

Finally, just before 10pm on July 17, her waters broke after she went to the toilet. Her screaming woke up Francesca - who came to her mother’s aide as her father went downstairs to call 999.

The delivery was quick after her waters broke and following an overnight stay in hospital, mother and baby were discharged.

She is now looking forward to one day telling Roisin how her older sister helped bring her into the world. Mr Goodby, also a shop assistant, missed Francesca’s birth too thanks to work obligations.

Mrs Goodby said: ‘I had just gave birth to Francesca and he turned up, he just missed it. I don’t think it really matters to him - he probably would have fainted, like you see men do on the telly.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2222818/Schoolgirl-6-helps-mother-labour-deliver-sister-watching-Casualty.html?ITO=socialnet-twitter-mailonline

What a heart touching story.