A MUM who gave birth three months early has been reunited with the paramedics who helped save her baby's life.

Lucy Knight, 29, from Ilminster, went into labour in July last year - 13 weeks ahead of her due date.

The new mum thought she just had an upset stomach, and definitely wasn't expecting to start giving birth.

Until, the felt her baby's head move and she knew he was coming.

Miss Knight said: "I told my partner Dean to call an ambulance, but he was in a panic so I had to do it myself.

"While I was on the phone my water broke.

"The line cut out while I was on the phone to the paramedic.

"It felt like one big push and then he was out.

"I didn't want to look, I feared he was dead. But he was breathing and crying, which was a huge relief.

“I remember noticing how tiny be was. But I was in such a state of shock that I couldn’t really feel anything. I was like an empty shell with no emotion."

Shortly after, the ambulance crew arrived to rush Eli, who weighed just 1lb and 14 oz, to hospital in Taunton.

It was then discovered he had a collapsed lung, and when he was just seven days old, he had a brain bleed.

Miss Knight added: “We’re so grateful to the call handler for keeping me calm, and for helping us to keep Eli stable and safe until the paramedics arrived. The crew were absolutely amazing. We cannot thank them enough for getting me and Eli to the hospital safely.

"The NHS staff made sure my baby had his mum and I had my son.

"The hospital neonatal team is amazing, they're like gods to me.

“Eli is a little miracle, and we’re so delighted he’s alive and at home with us.”

SWASFT emergency medical dispatcher, Lydia Gardiner, who took the call, ensured Eli was breathing and was kept warm.

Eli was Lydia's fifth baby she has delivered over the phone.

She said: “It’s always a privilege to help deliver a baby over the phone, and this call is one I won’t forget.

“I knew Lucy needed help when she said she was only 27 weeks pregnant but was pushing and felt like she could see the baby’s head. But when she said she was having contractions, we lost phone signal. By the time I managed to reach her the baby had been born. So my priority was then to make sure he was breathing and was kept warm. Even though the baby was struggling to breathe, the paramedics soon arrived and I handed over to them. So I had no idea if Eli was going to survive.

“I was delighted to hear Eli is doing so well, and it’s such a privilege to meet him and his family. We don’t always know the outcome of calls we take, let alone have the opportunity to meet patients.

“Lucy did exceptionally well and kept really calm in what must have been such a scary situation. I feel proud to have been able to help her when she was most in need.”

The baby was born during the summer heat wave, but despite sweltering temperatures, the dedicated ambulance crew drove the him from Ilminster to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton with the heating blasting and the windows done up to ensure the baby was kept warm.

They arrived at the hospital dripping with sweat, but Eli, who was no bigger than the palm of a hand, was safely delivered to the neonatal team on the maternity ward.

SWASFT lead paramedic, Aaron Doolan, said: “Heat loss is extremely detrimental to a new-born. So when we’re travelling to the hospital in this situation, we always turn the vehicle’s heating on, as well as wrapping a new-born in a baby blanket.”