"Enormously grateful and absolutely indebted to her": Luton mayor helps to deliver baby during 'whirlwind' birth

Susannah and Richard Cantor, from Round Green, had been enjoying a meal last Friday evening – October 25 – and had been making the most of their night in ahead of Susannah’s due date on the up and coming Wednesday.

The mum went upstairs while Richard got the sitting room ready for their evening of entertainment. The dad explained: “Seconds later, I heard the shouts of Susie saying, “I'm gonna have the baby now.” I didn’t quite appreciate how ‘now’ she meant.”

In anticipation of the birth of their second child, the couple had reached out to their “good friend and neighbour”, the Mayor of Luton, Cllr Tahmina Saleem, to watch their elder son, Leo, for whenever the baby might arrive.

Richard called his parents and in-laws, then the mayor who “sprang into action” as soon as she arrived just after 8pm.

The mayor explained: “I heard what I can only describe as the throes of labour, agony from the bathroom. I knew there was something quite dramatic happening while we were stood just outside the door. I opened it and I saw baby's head.

"I didn't ask. There were no niceties. It was instinctive. I stepped in and I wasn't going to mess around.”

From her own experience of having very quick labours with her three children, Cllr Saleem got ready for the imminent birth as Susannah endured her contractions without pain relief.

Richard said: “She was on the bathroom floor on all fours, and the baby's head was half out. Tahmina was already hands on. She was soothing her and talking to her.”

The mayor said: “I was ready to basically be the person that received the baby. Susannah had two large contractions where she pushed and she was incredible. The baby's head emerged by two thirds at that point, I was there with my hands around his crown waiting, and thankfully, I heard the ambulance attendants arrive.”

With six NHS workers surrounding her, Susannah gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Sam Cantor, at 8.13pm.

Mum said: “There was a moment of relief when, firstly, our lovely neighbour arrived, and when the paramedics got here, they were absolutely brilliant.”

The mayor got to meet the new arrival and said: “I got to see baby’s face - the most beautiful, tiny, little, perfect face with this dark hair. That was the most emotional moment. I just burst out crying. I'd just witnessed this new life coming into the world.”

The couple thanked the mayor for her help, Susannah said: “She is such a reassuring, calm presence. She was very reassuring and really kind. I think it's a testament to her that she would never have thought of doing anything else, that's just the kind woman she is.

"I’m enormously grateful and absolutely indebted to her.”