Baby girl's early bathroom birth

Latiya stayed in an incubator for more than three months

A mother has spoken about the moment she gave birth to her daughter 16 weeks early, in the bathroom.

Marie Donohue, 38, from Toxteth, Liverpool, began suffering abdominal pains when she was 24 weeks pregnant.

She thought she had a water infection, but unexpectedly gave birth to Latiya, who arrived weighing just 1lb (0.4kg).

Ms Donohue has described Latiya, who had to stay in an incubator for the first three-and-a-half months of her life, as "a little fighter".

She said she held Latiya close to her body fearing she would never survive.

Reliving the dramatic moment Ms Donohue said: "Latiya wasn't breathing and her body was blue.

"My brother called 999 and the call taker Graeme Maylor gave instructions to him.

"Graeme reassured him that the ambulance was on its way and within minutes a rapid response vehicle arrived."

'Small but strong'

Steve Clarke, the first paramedic on scene, resuscitated Latiya, who was no bigger than the palm of his hand, before paramedics John Mitchell and Danielle Bond rushed her to Liverpool Women's hospital.

Marie, who was bleeding heavily, was also taken to the hospital for treatment.

Mr Mitchell said: "When we arrived at the hospital, we literally ran up the stairs to the Intensive Care Unit, and placed the baby into an incubator.

"She was so tiny. We just prayed that she would be OK."

Latiya was in an incubator for 10 days, but was then transferred to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, as she needed to have an operation on her bowel.

She is still perfect to me Marie Donohue

After the success on repairing the tear to her bowel, Latiya was then transferred back to the Women's Hospital, where she stayed in an incubator for three-and-a-half months.

Ms Donohue said: "She is so small but very strong, when she was in hospital she would not keep her breathing apparatus on, and kept pulling it off.

"I am so lucky to have her, we thought she had died when I gave birth to her, and can't believe she survived. "She has been diagnosed with having one deaf ear, but she is still perfect to me."

Ms Donohue was so grateful for the paramedics who had saved her daughter's life that she wanted to see them again, and thank them personally, and introduce them to her little girl.

She said: "If it wasn't for the ambulance service, the caring paramedics, and the life saving treatment that they gave, I would not have Latiya now, they saved my baby's life and I will always be grateful to them."