Teacher gives birth in Chigwell school

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A primary school teacher has spoken about how her colleagues helped deliver her son at the school where she works.

Diane Krish-Veeramany went into labour on Thursday, a week before her due date.

Three of her colleagues at Manford Primary School, in Chigwell, Essex, helped deliver her son Jonah in a classroom.

Mrs Krish-Veeramany, 30, said: "Everyone was so supportive and just acted on instinct."

She added: "Luckily, my husband got to the school before I gave birth."

Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote We now joke that he was late for his first day at school as he was born after the bell” End Quote Diane Krish-Veeramany

The teacher had gone to a morning meeting, but shortly afterwards she asked to go home after feeling ill.

"I texted my husband to come and get me... but my colleagues asked if I wanted an ambulance.

"I said 'I'll just go home' - I just didn't think it would be a contraction as it didn't feel like one."

Her husband Vijaye Veeramany was on his way to pick up his wife when he got a call telling him she was in labour.

Teaching assistants Dita Gojnovci, Chris Sword and Sam Mustafa helped her give birth in a classroom.

Jonah arrived a week before his due date

"One person was on the phone to my husband, one was on the phone to my hospital and the other to an ambulance," said Mrs Krish-Veeramany.

"It all just happened really quickly - within 20 minutes of these phone calls I'd had Jonah."

Jonah is her second child, but this birth was very different from her previous delivery which was in a hospital.

After giving birth Mrs Krish-Veeramany was taken by paramedics to Queen's Hospital, in Romford, where mother and baby were later allowed to go home.

"We now joke that he was late for his first day at school as he was born after the bell," she said.

"The school have named the room he was born in after him - it's now called Jonah's Room."