'Baby magnet' emergency call-taker helps with 19th birth
Photo:
Hato Hone St John
A St John emergency call taker says being "a calm voice of reason" is her first priority when people call her during emergency or unexpected births.
Gemma Cale has just helped baby number 19 into the world - leading her workmates to nickname her "baby magnet".
"A lot of people don't expect to be giving birth at home so it can be quite stressful for them. But we've got the training to do it so it's just keeping calm and following your instructions," Cale said.
She says a chance to meet her most recent new family - baby Leonard and his Mum and Dad - was an emotionally charged moment.
"It was very emotional to meet him because a lot of the time we don't get to find out the outcome and he was one of the few babies that I didn't actually get to hear cry. [I was] quite worried that he was all right," Cale said.
Gemma with baby Leonard Fox, aged four weeks.
Photo:
Hato Hone St John
Cale said assisting a child's birth was always an "exciting moment" and - despite being a little scary - the calls were her favourite.
"It can be a little bit intimidating - especially if it's not going smoothly - but it's always just remembering that we've been trained how to take these calls. It's just keeping calm, following your instructions and hoping for the best really," Cale said.
She said Thursday night up to four calls came into the Auckland call centre with people needing help giving birth.
"I don't think any of them actually managed to deliver on the phone. I think the ambulance was able to come just before but I did hear the instructions going out a few times," Cale said.
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