"Thank you for bringing him into this world safely".
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That was the message Rachel Campbell had for paramedics Carl Bevan and Joanne Ninness, who helped deliver her "perfect" bundle of joy - baby Dusty - two weeks ago in Ms Campbell's driveway.
Ms Campbell was able to formally meet and thank the paramedics on Friday, catching up with her heroes for the first time since Dusty was born on July 14.
"We were so scared and you pulled up at the perfect time," she said.
I've never seen a pregnant lady move so quick in my whole life.
- Paramedic Joanne Ninness
Ms Campbell said it was just her and her 10-year-old niece in the house when she went into labour a fortnight ago, which was "pretty frightening", with Dusty's father Dwaine Jeffery out of the house helping his mother.
"The paramedics came just in time, I thought I was going to have [Dusty] on my couch and I didn't want that to happen."
Despite being worried by not having midwives there to help deliver the baby, Ms Campbell said the paramedics did better than some midwives she's had delivering her four previous children.
"I was just nervous and they did so well and I think I cried for about two or three hours once I got to the hospital," she said.
Mrs Ninness said there was no danger of a birth on the couch, with Ms Campbell up onto her feet in seconds of her and Mr Bevan arriving.
"You moved very quick out to the ambulance, I've never seen a pregnant lady move so quick in my whole life," Mrs Ninness said to Ms Campbell.
Ms Campbell handed the pair cards after waiting two weeks to be able to thank them in person, but Mr Bevan said she was a perfect patient.
"We didn't really do much, you did all the hard work," he told Ms Campbell laughing.
"It was a perfect Orange day, sun was shining, it was about three degrees ... we got called to a woman in labour, she was 39 weeks and ready to push and we arrived and she did."
I'm getting time to myself, the kids are all loving the baby so I couldn't be happier.
- Mum Rachel Campbell talking about how Dusty is settling in
The pair delivered Dusty in the back of the ambulance before taking mum and bub to hospital.
Mr Bevan said paramedics around town were called to "one or two" births a month, but this one was different.
"Normally we get them up to the hospital and it all goes quite well, it's not often you get to deliver them in the back of the car," he said.
It was also a nice change of pace from most incidents he attends.
"Obviously, 90 per cent of the time when you see these flashing lights and this uniform and it's often the worst day of your life," Mr Bevan said.
"It's nice to do a job like this where it all turned all quite well."
Ms Campbell said she couldn't be happier with baby Dusty fitting well into the tribe, which now features five children under five as Eli, aged four, twins Violet and Rylee aged two and Trinity at one and a half are now joined by two-week-old Dusty.
"They're loving him, all cuddles, they all just want to be with him," Ms Campbell said.
"I've got the four-year-old helping with bottles.
"It's taking a little bit right now to get them on track, otherwise it's not too bad. I'm getting time to myself, the kids are all loving the baby so I couldn't be happier."
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