'The cot's up, I'm coming'

Danny and Nikki Lloyd had a memorable start to the year – when daughter Olivia was born at just 28 weeks.

'I joked that she might be here for Mother's Day but I meant just a couple of days before – not 11 weeks,' said Mrs Lloyd.

On Saturday 3 January, 23-year-old Mr Lloyd, who works at Stan Brouard, and his wife Nikki, 22, a trust administrator at Investec, returned from visiting his family in Lancashire.

They spent the following day making the cot and preparing the nursery for the arrival of their first baby – who was due on 30 March.

By 9.25am on Monday morning Olivia had been born, weighing just 2lb 11oz.

'I was sorting out all her clothes and thought I'd have three months to get everything ready. I was thinking about ordering her pram but I had three months to do it, then she came the next day,' said Mrs Lloyd.

'She must have thought, "right, the cot's up, I'm coming".'

Mrs Lloyd had felt unwell on the Sunday and was going to mention it at her 28-week check, which was due on Monday.

Still feeling unwell the following morning she called the hospital and they told her she should bring her overnight bag.

'I hadn't even packed it. All I could remember was my friend saying to take thick socks because it got cold at night,' she said.

Mrs Lloyd thought she would be sent home but by 7.30am she was already 5cm dilated.

'They said "you definitely won't be going to work today".'

Olivia was born by emergency Caesarean at 9.25am.

'It was all a bit of a blur. All I remember saying is "I want my mum".'

Olivia, who is now 5lb 3oz, spent eight weeks in the special care baby unit, briefly returning for a few days after developing hypothermia. Tomorrow, Mother's Day, she will have been home for two weeks.

'It's nice to have her home. I think my mum is going to come around tomorrow for a barbecue if the weather is good,' she said.