A new mum had the opportunity to thank the crews who came to her aid after she suffered a life-threatening postpartum haemorrhage, just moments after welcoming her baby daughter into the world.

What should have been the most joyous moment for 27-year-old Rebecca King quickly turned into a terrifying ordeal.

With the midwife by her side at her home in Gillingham, all seemed well but shortly after giving birth, Rebecca began feeling faint and clammy, and it became clear she was losing a significant amount of blood.

Her midwife immediately dialled 999 and was connected to Emergency Medical Advisor Cristina Pana, who triaged the call as a category 1 emergency which is the highest level of response. Within five minutes, a team of six clinicians arrived at the family home.

Dispatch Team Leader James Newstead and Resource Dispatcher Adamson Agaba coordinated the emergency response, sending paramedics Libby Homan and Ceron Meadows, emergency care support worker, Melanie Carter and student paramedics Breeshey Fuller, Olivia Shurben-Browne and Jade Edwards to the scene.

The team worked quickly to stabilise Rebecca, stopping the bleeding before transporting her to Medway Maritime Hospital, where she spent three days recovering.

Now safely back home with her partner and baby daughter, Rebecca expressed her gratitude in person during a recent visit to SECAmb’s Medway Make Ready Centre, where they were reunited with the entire crew.

According to recent UK data, postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) affects around 3.7 per cent of women giving birth in UK midwifery units, with the rate requiring transfer to obstetric care being around the same percentage.

This is considered a significant increase in recent years, with PPH being a leading cause of maternal morbidity in the UK, though the risk of death from PPH remains low at approximately one in 100,000 deliveries.

Rebecca said: “In such a terrifying moment, they were all so calm, professional, and compassionate, and I felt like I was in safe hands the entire time. I’ll never forget what they did for me, and I’ll always be grateful that they were there when I needed them most.”

With the opportunity to enjoy a cuddle with baby Ophelia, Breeshey Fuller, one of the responding student paramedics, said: “It was so special to see Rebecca and baby Ophelia under such happy circumstances. This is why we do the job, to make a real difference when people need us most.”

Ceron Meadows added “I was over the moon that Rebecca made a fantastic recovery and wanted to meet us all, and was so glad that we were able to help her in what must have been an incredibly scary time.”

“Having the opportunity to reunite with Rebecca is why I love my job so much. Melanie added. “We’re all so happy to see her doing well.”