Everybody needs good neighbours rings true for the Davidsons

The meaning of good neighbours took on a whole new meaning over the weekend when Aroha Davidson went into labour suddenly at 39-weeks pregnant at her Bushland Beach home.

Aroha’s husband, Craig, said the action began when his wife’s waters broke around 11:20pm on Saturday night.

“Aroha woke me and I knew the baby was coming so I woke our four-year-old daughter Zoe and took her to a close friend’s house down the road,” Craig said.

“By the time I returned Aroha was having regular contractions; things were moving very quickly.”

As fate would have it, Aroha and Craig’s neighbour, friend and registered Townsville Hospital midwife Shona Fretwell’s husband heard Aroha’s calls of pain and woke Shona.

“When I first heard the scream, I sat up and wondered what it was but the second time recognised it instantly from my experience as a midwife,” Shona said.

“I got up right away and started to head over there and before I was out the door Craig was ringing me to assist.”

Craig said he knew they wouldn’t make it to hospital on time, prompting the call to an ambulance and then to Shona.

“I was just trying to keep Aroha comfortable while the ambulance operator gave me advice over the phone and we waited for Shona,” he said.

When Shona arrived at Craig and Aroha’s house their baby’s head was already visible.

“A wave of relief came over me when Shona arrived; she did an amazing job and took over to make sure our daughter arrived safely and I could provide moral support Aroha,” Craig said.

“With Shona’s amazing guidance and only three pushes our daughter Pippa Rose Davidson had arrived at 11:45pm.

“Shona rubbed her down, cleared the mucus out of her mouth and stimulated her as she too was a bit stunned from the precipitous birth and popped her right onto Aroha’s chest.”

Shona said it was absolute instinct and adrenalin that took over while helping Aroha deliver Pippa.

“I was just so happy to be there for them; the baby was coming whether I was there or not so I was just so grateful to be able to help,” she said.

“Sometimes when births happen rapidly the baby’s shoulder can get stuck or the cord can get stuck around the neck so it was great to be able to reassure Aroha that her baby was safe.”

Aroha said she and Craig were eternally grateful to Shona.

“Things really could have gone pear-shaped without her,” she said.

“We’ve known Shona about 10 years and we just cannot repay her for being there and we couldn’t have been in better hands.

“She is more than a neighbour and more than a friend, she almost feels like family now.”

Aroha said that baby Pippa was doing well at home after her early arrival into the world.

“Pippa was born weighing 6 pounds and 14 ounces and was 48.5 centimetres long,” she said.

“We did have to go up the hospital’s maternity unit just to be on the safe side and it just so happened that Shona was the shift coordinator that day so she’s been with us the whole way.

“She has even been for a visit since we got home.”

Shona said the whole experience had only tightened her bond with the family.

“We’ve been neighbours for 10 years, we have Christmas together, our daughters play together so it’s safe to say we are very close,” she said.

“I feel like I’ve gained another daughter in Pippa and am so thrilled to see such lovely people grow their family.

“The attention has all felt slightly surreal though, because in my mind I’m just a neighbour and a friend who happened to be a midwife and was just doing what I was trained to do.”

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