AFTER nine months of preparation, pregnant Joanna Dearing probably didn't expect she would give birth with the help of her mother-in-law and husband.But when her waters broke at 12.

AFTER nine months of preparation, pregnant Joanna Dearing probably didn't expect she would give birth with the help of her mother-in-law and husband.

But when her waters broke at 12.15am yesterday and she rapidly went into labour it was clear her little girl was going to be making a speedy entrance into the world - and not at the hospital.

And even after Joanna realised she would be having little Eleaner Rose at home the drama was not over as the umbilical cord became wrapped around the baby's neck - but it still didn't stop her mother-in-law Linda and husband Robin making the perfect delivery.

Recovering at her Saxmundham home yesterday, Joanna said: “I got out of bed and my waters went and within 20 minutes I had given birth. My husband delivered and my mother-in-law assisted.

“She's the second that didn't make it to the hospital. The last one was an induced labour but the one before that was very quick, within an hour, in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

“I didn't even get as far as phoning the ambulance this time. I got out of bed at 12.15am and she was born at 12.41am.”

She added: “I was a bit scared at the time; that's the first thing I said to my mother-in-law, but she said 'it will be fine'.

“My husband kept saying don't push but you can't stop it at that stage.”

When she realised her daughter-in-law was in labour, two days after her due date, Linda rushed to the house five minutes away in Mayflower Avenue.

While the midwife was on her way, she and her son called Ipswich Hospital's senior midwife, who gave instructions to Robin while Linda held the telephone to his ear.

Linda said: “I wasn't worried but when the cord went round her neck that worried me. When she came out I took it away from her neck, so when she was delivered it was not tight, and then I pulled it over her head. The midwife turned up and then sorted everything out.

“I am still shell-shocked. It's a brilliant experience, bringing your granddaughter into the world. It was absolutely lovely and she's beautiful.”

The midwife cut the cord and weighed Ellie Rose at 6lb 11ozs and, although she had a low temperature yesterday afternoon, both she and her mum were doing well.

The little girl is the seventh of Joanna's children and will be a sister to Harriet, two-and-a-half, Joshua, four, 11-year-old twins Thomas and Benjamin, Katherine, 13, and Aaron, 18.

But even after the eventful morning Joanna said she wouldn't have changed any of it.

She said: “I was lucky as I was in Woodbridge on Monday and at Tesco so I would have had to given birth there if it had happened then.”