A first-time mother from Southland says the region needs better maternity services after she gave birth in a moving car on the way to hospital.
Jess Berry and husband Michael live on a farm in the Upper Clutha, where there are no birthing units. So they got on the road to Alexandra.
They arrived at the hospital as a family of three however, after baby William was born on a rural road on the lower South Island - 10 minutes before they arrived at the hospital.
It’s not the first time a pregnant mother has given birth en route to a birthing unit in the region with two other emergency births in the area recently.
Ms Berry says her care has been outstanding but she believes the region needs more midwives.
"My midwife and the support that I got has been fantastic but I do really think it highlights there aren’t necessarily enough resources for the amount of pregnant women in the area," she says.
She says there needs to be better working conditions for midwives and more of them in their area.
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