A mum ‘hit the jackpot’ after giving birth to her new baby boy - at a bingo hall.
Tammy Hall, 30, joked she now has a ‘full house’ after her fourth child, Teddie Hall, arrived thanks to the actions of quick-thinking staff at the venue.
She said: "I thought I may win a prize and I certainly did, the biggest prize of all - a new healthy baby boy.
“Many people have said ‘You’ve got a full house now’ and ‘You hit the jackpot that night’ - and everyone calls him ‘Legs 11 Teddie.’”
Tammy, a waitress, had felt some contractions on October 29 but was told by a midwife to “carry on” with her life as the birth wasn't imminent.
So the next night, October 30, she went out with her family to her local Club 3000 Bingo club, in Blackpool, Lancs., before suddenly feeling sick at around 9pm.
The venue's caring staff then came to her rescue, calling 999 and comforting her as she had a series of very intense contractions.
And just 30 minutes later, she gave birth to her 8lb 9oz little boy in the back of an ambulance, which was parked outside the bingo hall.
She said: “I started having contractions the night before I went to bingo, but when I contacted the hospital, they said as it was my fourth baby, it could go on for two or three days.
“So my mum said, ‘Let’s go to bingo,’ and it came on that fast that I didn’t expect it myself.’
"The staff at Club 3000 Bingo in Blackpool were incredible and so calm and caring.
"A special thank you to Phil who realised I was in distress, Larry who then phoned the ambulance and Kairen who remained with me until the ambulance arrived."
Tammy, who began playing bingo at 18 with her grandma Margaret, was three hours into the session with her mum, sister and niece before she felt unwell.
Moments later, she experienced very acute contractions and realised the baby was probably on its way.
Tammy said: “I’d gone outside with my sister to get some fresh air on the interval, and I had a contraction that just didn’t go.
“Then as soon as I walked halfway through the bingo, I instantly felt sick.
“Everyone was playing bingo, and I’d gone into the bathroom. My niece came back, and she was asking if everything was ok.
“But because I was having this contraction, I couldn’t speak. I was like: ‘Just get me an ambulance or something’.”
“Before I knew it, there were about 30 people standing around in the toilet, asking if I was ok.”
Tammy said staff had sat with her before an ambulance arrived at the bingo hall at around 9.20pm.
And she managed to get into the back of the emergency vehicle with the help of her mum where the medics began preparing to take her to the hospital.
But Tammy said she knew the birth wouldn’t wait any longer.
She said: “The paramedic was like, ‘Tammy, we’re going to get you to the hospital, everything is going to be fine.
"And I was like, ‘No I can feel something, I think his head is there’
“And obviously she looked and said, ‘Can I cut your clothes?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, carry on’ and she said ‘Oh my god, there’s a baby’.”
“It was the ambulance staff who delivered the baby.”
Tammy was later whisked away to the hospital where Teddie was thankfully given a clean bill of health.
And the grateful mum said the experience hadn’t put her off going to play bingo - adding she had since been back to show her little lad to the staff.
She said: “I don’t think any words would come close to how much I appreciate every single one of them and their help.
“The people in the bingo were just amazing. They were on time, on point. They literally talked me through it while my mum was speaking to the ambulance.
“I’ll still continue to go to the bingo.
"Obviously at the moment it’s a bit hard, having a new baby, but I have been back a couple of times since to introduce him to everybody.”
Sean Connolly, general manager at Club 3000 Bingo in Blackpool, said he was thankful that the birth had gone smoothly.
He said: “What a night to remember, I would like to thank my team for making sure Tammy was comfortable before the ambulance came.
“We can’t wait to welcome Tammy back in the club very soon to celebrate”.
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