A MOTHER has called her partner a "hero" after he demanded that paramedics delivered her baby in a hospital car park.
Carly Mitchell, 38, from Mitchley Avenue in Sanderstead, gave birth to her son Beau on the back seat of her car last Friday, even though they were only seconds away from Croydon University Hospital.
"He was due on January 9 but this was the day after," she said. "I woke up with pains just after 4am and by 5am my partner Matt had me in the car and was driving me to the hospital.
"But then about ten minutes into the journey when we were going past Fairfield Halls, I said to him, 'The baby's coming, I need to push'.
"He stayed so calm and got thinking really quickly. Instead of taking me to the maternity ward, he headed straight for A&E."
The father, Matt Hogan, 39, then drove the car into A&E just as an ambulance was pulling out of the car park.
"He stopped the ambulance which had two paramedics inside," said Ms Mitchell. "He told them what was happening and they said we had to go to the maternity ward.
"But he told them there was no time and said they had to come help. He was a real hero."
The paramedics then rushed over, saw Ms Mitchell was about to give birth and helped deliver the baby while the mother was still in the back seat.
"I was so scared and was in shock for a long time after," she said.
"It was really cold so they took him into hospital and I followed later on a trolley.
"It's amazing really, though.
I'm just glad it's over."
Ms Mitchell's mother, Sheila, was in the car when one of her daughters rang her to say the birth had taken place before reaching hospital.
"I told her I wasn't in the mood for jokes and it was too early in the morning but it was true," she said.
"I went straight to hospital and even got to the maternity ward before they did because they were still coming over from A&E."
Ms Mitchell, who has another three-year-old son called Tate, said she was looking forward to taking her maternity leave from being a hairdresser.
"I'm exhausted but it's great to have everyone home. Sanderstead is a good place to bring up the kids but I think we will eventually move somewhere quieter."
