'I feel privileged to be part of it': colleagues help deliver baby in store

When Rebecca Palmer and Madeline Esposito turned up for their shifts at our Sheffield Handsworth store they never dreamed they'd be helping to deliver a customer's baby later that evening!

The customer, who was eight months pregnant, was out shopping with her mum when she went into labour by the optical department.

Rebecca, who's 28 and works on checkouts, said: "I was just with our security colleague Tony when a lady came rushing over to say that her daughter was going into labour and asking if we could we call an ambulance.

"The daughter was sat on a chair by the optical department and was panicking a bit. She'd been to hospital earlier that day for monitoring and was due to return the following day but it now looked like she was in full-on labour. It was her third child, so we knew we needed to act quickly."

They screened off the area to give the customer some privacy while Rebecca spoke to the ambulance control and Tony gathered a duvet and pillows to help make the mum comfortable.

Madeline, who works on home and leisure, arrived and managed to keep both the daughter and her mum calm while Rebecca got instructions over the phone on how to deliver the baby.

Rebecca said: "The lady in the ambulance control just said to let her do what came naturally and push when she felt she had to. After one push, the baby's head was out and in my hand! It was amazing.

"The First Responder came soon after and said that I was doing such a good job I should continue while he gave the lady gas and air.

"After about only four pushes the baby came out. I could see her eyes open straight away and she was looking around and then she gave out a little cry. It was such a relief.

"It was all over very quickly! The baby was born at 11.16pm and it was 10.45pm when the lady's mum came over asking for help.

"It's the most terrifying, but overwhelmingly incredible, thing that I've ever done. I feel quite privileged to be part of it actually. It's got to have been such a scary experience for her to go into labour in a supermarket.

"For her to feel comfortable and to trust me enough to deliver her baby is something I'll never forget. I've got no kids myself or any experience at delivering babies either."

The young mum and baby were taken to hospital straight away to be checked over and Rebecca went back to work as normal, serving customers and stacking shelves.

She said: "The customer 's been back in store since to thank us and to say that both she and the baby are doing well. Hopefully we'll get the chance to see the baby again soon."

Rachael Johnson, the store's customer trading manager, has nominated both Rebecca and Madeline for Asda service superstar awards.

She said: "Despite the baby being born three weeks early both she and mum are doing well thanks to Rebecca and Madeline keeping a clear head and being amazing. Well done ladies, we are all so proud of you."