A CARE home nurse got to live out her dream of becoming a midwife... by helping to deliver her newest grandson during an unexpected home birth.

Carolyne Goodall, 58, had been visiting family for the evening in Hadleigh when daughter-in-law Alicia suddenly went into labour.

A quick-thinking Carolyne, herself a mum of seven, realised there was no time to get Alicia to hospital and took it upon herself to deliver her new grandson, Michael.

She admits it was a “very special feeling” to be the first to hold the newborn, despite enduring some scary moments along the way.

“When he didn’t breathe at first I was a bit worried but as soon as he started screaming it was a huge relief,” Carolyne, who is from Leigh, said.

The new addition to the family, Michael, was born at 9.26pm last Sunday, weighing seven pound and nine ounces.

An ambulance had been called to get mum Alicia to hospital but Carolyne was able to draw upon some useful experience to step in and save the day.

She said: “I come from a family of midwives and I am a nurse and wanted to be a midwife but there’s so many hoops to jump through.

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“I have also seen a lot of births too, and have picked up a few things over the years about birthing.

“I wanted to make sure he was safe and as the birth started I was a little worried.

Alicia, who has two other children, says her newborn is doing well and says her family is adapting well to having a new addition around the house.

She added: “I felt more in control during the birth and felt more empowered as I was going into it knowing what I was doing rather then being told what to do by hospital staff.

“It was nice being at home and I had hoped for a home birth and I felt more comfortable at home too.”

She added the birth of Michael was much quicker than the previous births of her other two children.