For most men being at their child's birth is demanding enough, even with nurses and doctors at the ready to handle the intricacies of the birth.

But for Patrick Goodenough it proved to be one of the biggest challenges of his life when he had to deliver his and his wife Lucy's baby with some telephone guidance from an ambulance service operator.

Fortunately, the advice over the phone proved invaluable and the Goodenough family, from Oldbury-on-Severn near Bristol, have now met medical controller Sian Edmunds to thank her for her help.

Mr Goodenough described Ms Edmunds as absolutely spectacular for helping him bring his son into the world.

"We realised that things were moving faster than we had expected," said Mr Goodenough. "We rang for an ambulance and got through to the Welsh Ambulance Service and Sian was brilliant. She did a great job.

"She talked me through it and I did as she said. Lucy was on the bed in the bedroom.

"At one point Sian asked if I could see the head and I answered, 'I think so, I've got it in my hands.'"

Ms Edmunds, working from the Welsh Ambulance Service's control centre in Cwmbran, recalled the moment the call came through at 5.30am on December 17.

"I hadn't done a birth all the way through, usually the crew or the midwife arrive in time, but this time I was on my own," she said.

"But it all went well and although the dad was a bit anxious to begin with he did really well. I suppose I was a bit nervous too but I just ran through a few things with him.

"He put me on speaker phone so he had his hands free but it was sometimes quite difficult to hear each other but we managed and it was wonderful to hear the baby cry. It was a good, strong, healthy cry."

Mr and Mrs Goodenough had rung to book a birthing suite at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

Their son, who is yet to be named, was born at 5.50am and weighed in at a healthy 7lb 8oz, a brother for two-year-old Beau. Mrs Goodenough said: "Southmead Hospital in Bristol were getting the birthing pool ready for me and then everything happened. It just came out of the blue.

"I mean, I knew I was going to have a baby but things just happened so fast.

"Patrick was trying to get me to get into the car but I said, 'I'm not going anywhere.' It was very special though and I'll never want to move from this house now. I'm really proud of Patrick."

Ms Edmunds added: "We often have to deal with quite distressing incidents but this was one of the nicest things I had ever done and it was really rewarding.

"Patrick was a lovely man and was so appreciative of what we did."