Woman goes into labour on packed beach during heatwave
A mum was forced to rely on strangers to help her out when she unexpectedly went into labour at a packed beach in the middle of a heatwave.
Kirsty Nott, 33, had brought five of her six children to Aberavon Beach in Port Talbot, Wales for a day out in the sun, when she suddenly started to have contractions.
The mum was expecting to welcome her seventh baby on Wednesday, 10 August, but wound up giving birth almost a full month early.
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One 19 July, eight-months pregnant Kirsty brought her children Logan, 14, Braydan, 10, Roxy, 9, Kruz, 8, and Blake, 4, out for a day in the sun after their school trip was cancelled due to weather warnings.
Just moments are setting foot on the beach, Kirsty started to feel a sharp pain in her stomach.
In a panic, Kirsty rang her parents for help - but, from miles away, all they could do was call paramedics to the scene for her.
While she waited for medical help to arrive, Kirsty was surrounded by crowds of strangers offering to help.
Speaking to Wales Online, Kirsty recalled: "I hadn't even put my bum on the sand yet. I was panicking.
"There were no familiar faces. I thought he was going to come out on the beach."
When paramedics got in touch, Kirsty was in too much pain to speak and had to pass the phone to another beach-goer.
The woman, who Kirsty had just met that day, had to relay the paramedic's advice, telling the panicked mum to lay down and strip off from the waist down.
Thankfully, it wasn't long before coastguards from the Swansea RNLI arrived with windbreakers to give Kirsty some privacy.
Kirsty's five children, who had been playing in the sea, were shocked when they came back to the shore to find what had happened.
Just as a coastguard nervously announced that the baby's head was crowning, an ambulance arrived on the beach to take Kirsty straight to Singleton Hospital.
At the hospital, Kirsty gave birth to baby Tanner-Jax Gregory Nott, who weighed 5lbs 11oz.
After spending four days in hospital to be monitored by medical staff, the youngster was taken home to his family.
Soon after the traumatic beach day, Kirsty received a message from the Port Talbot coastguards, who had a special coastguard teddy for baby Gregory and activity packs for his brothers and sisters.
"I really did appreciate everything they did, they kept me calm," said Kirsty.
The mum decided to deliver some chocolates to them to thank them for their help, but did admit that she felt quite embarrassed seeing them again after the incident.
Kirsty also said her teenage son Logan is quite traumatised from the very public birth of his new brother, but thankfully, the family of nine are now safe and sound together in Aberdare.
Ali Condon