When Chris Mawson arrived at the accident and emergency department of Pinderfields Hospital, in Wakefield, doctors told her the pains were in fact contractions.

"When the doctor told me I was pregnant I yelled at her not to be stupid and demanded a second opinion," she said.

"She went away and came back with a midwife."

Fifty minutes later, Mrs Mawson's first child, Amy-Jane, was born weighing 4lb 13oz.

Working, smoking and drinking

She had never suspected she was pregnant because she only put on a small amount of weight and a nurse told her last December that her menopause had started.

Mrs Mawson had worked a full shift at Sainsbury's the night before, and had been taking none of the usual health precautions associated with pregnancy.

"I must have drunk and smoked loads in that time. We even went to the pub the night before and I had a couple of pints of lager.

"But everything about Amy-Jayne looks fine. We might not have been ready for her but we'd never send her back.

"Obviously, we didn't have a single thing, not a nappy, a bib or a bootee to our names but people have been amazing. Everyone has rallied round and we're getting bits and pieces together."

Mr Mawson said: "I was absolutely gobsmacked.