Cork Woman Forced To Give Birth At Home In The Middle Of Hurricane Ophelia

While Hurricane Ophelia was causing havoc across Ireland, one woman gave birth to her baby girl right in the midst of it all.

Sonya Burke spoke on Cork radio station 96FM about delivering her baby, Maria, at home in Crosshaven, Co. Cork.

The woman said that her house on Camden Road is pretty high up in the town and the weather was starting to get worse when her waters broke.

In an interview with PJ Coogan, she said, "At that time I wasn't really concentrating on the weather, but the weather was shaky enough after she arrived and we made the trek to the hospital."

Sonya said she woke up at 4.15am with pains but didn't think much because she still had 3 weeks left of her pregnancy.

She said, "Then I thought these are getting quicker and quicker and the father of the child was at work so the only person in my house was my 14 year old son.

"So I called him to get the number of the hospital. He called my friend so she arrived and my friend delivered her."

Her waters broke at 7.25am and Maria arrived into the world fifty minutes later, with the Dad, Colm arriving just minutes before the birth.

Sonya explained, "It was surreal the whole thing. The baby is called after my friend who delivered her. I would say my friend is headed for years of therapy!

"We had to make a stop on the way to the hospital because of the weather and it was a little bit shaky but credit to the ambulance crew. They were fantastic."

She is currently at Cork University Maternity Hospital with baby Maria who came in at 6lbs 15 ounces but cannot go home until her power and water comes back to her house.

We are glad to hear that the mother and baby are doing well.