LISTEN - Fife man delivers baby at home with the help of earphones

A Fife father who delivered his premature baby at home on the bathroom floor used his headphones to tie off the new arrival's umbilical cord.

Richard Cox from Dunfermline had to improvise when his wife Hayley went into labour eight weeks early.

An ambulance call handler told him to find shoelaces or string to tie off the cord, stopping bleeding and preventing potentially deadly infection.

But the 31-year-old bank worker said all he had to hand were his headphones.

He told Forth News what happened immediately after Emilie was born:

The drama started when Mr Cox's wife Hayley, 32, started having intense pains in early January, although their daughter was not due until February 27.

She was in the bathroom at the couple's home in when she called out for her husband.

Mr Cox said: "She said 'Can you come to the bathroom?' Within a few minutes, I had our baby in my hands. My wife then said 'You need to phone 999'.''

He added: "It happened too fast, I could not grab the phone to call 999.

"At the hospital, I was saying I cannot believe this. I cannot remember if she was head first or what.

"The main priority was making sure she was breathing, and making sure her face was wiped.

"I did not appreciate she was born until the ambulance arrived. It's amazing how your instinct takes over.

"If not for the call handler and paramedics, she would not be here now.''

Emilie was born on January 8 at 1.25am, weighing just 3lb 14 oz.

An ambulance arrived and the family were taken to hospital in Kirkcaldy, where Emilie spent several weeks in the Special Care Baby Unit.

Her parents now say she is doing really well and weighs 16lb 12oz.