A PENARTH mum is recovering after a shock home birth – following in the footsteps of her mixed doubles tennis partner, who delivered his own baby at home back in 2007!

Charlotte Gore, 30, was due to give birth in hospital in Cardiff with the assistance of an epidural and a medical team on April 14 – but three days early on April 11, her baby had other ideas!

Charlotte, of Hawthorne Avenue, said: "I phoned the hospital on the morning of April 11 and told them I needed to come in.

"I was told to make my way in at a leisurely pace, but within ten minutes my waters had broken and I felt as though I needed to push.

"We phoned to ask if I could go to Llandough but it was too late to get to hospital, so we were talked through the birth over the phone!"

Charlotte’s mum Sue Gape, 65, took instructions from the 999 operator and relayed them to Charlotte’s husband Craig, 24, who worked to deliver the baby.

Sue, a retired secretary, and Craig, who works with computers, had no medical experience.

But thanks to the emergency operator and Charlotte’s stand-in medical team, little Noah was born a healthy 8lb 13 – just 57 minutes after the initial call to the hospital.

Noah is a little brother to two-year-old Alfie.

Sue said: "It was all so quick. I got there at 8.45am and the baby was born at 9.27am!"

Midwives and paramedics arrived shortly afterwards to take mum and baby to hospital for a check-up.

Charlotte, who used to work as an estate agent, said: "I did have a bit of a shock when Craig brought out our wedding towels to use.

"But I had the foresight to go into my son's room because it had laminate flooring so there wasn't too much mess!

"Looking back it wasn’t as stressful as it could have been. The emergency team were very good."

It wasn’t the first time the family had heard of a sudden home birth – as Charlotte’s tennis partner Dan had gone through a similar experience.

Dan James of Clos Caradog in Penarth, also had to dial the emergency services for advice when his partner Alison Maunder went into labour two weeks early in November 2007.

Dan helped as Alison gave birth to a healthy baby girl – also at home.

Charlotte's sister Mel Gape said: "I dont think anybody else will want to be their mixed doubles partners ever again!"