A MUM may have gone to the supermarket to just pick up some food, but she ended up going home with an unexpected item – a new baby boy.

Sara-Jane Pittaway, 22, has praised the ‘amazing’ staff at Morrisons, Weymouth, who came to the rescue when she went in to labour on Saturday.

She was 40 weeks’ pregnant and was eating a meal in the cafe at around 3pm when she started to get strong pains every few minutes.

She said she couldn’t eat and went outside to get some air.

The pain started to get worse and Sara-Jane rushed to the disabled toilet.

Sara-Jane had started to have contractions, so her mum and her sister Kirsty called for an ambulance.

Meanwhile, staff at the store jumped in to action, grabbing towels off the shelves and bringing water to keep Sara-Jane comfortable.

Duty manager Jerry Whyton, who is a first aider, spoke to the ambulance midwife for advice, just in case Sara-Jane gave birth before paramedics arrived.

Sara-Jane had no pain relief while waiting for the ambulance but was squeezing Jerry’s hand and her dad David’s hand. The first responders, ambulance and a midwife arrived at about 5pm. Sara-Jane said she was nervous about leaving the toilet because she was worried shoppers would be looking, but she needn’t have worried. Morrisons staff opened all the doors, moved people away and brought a screen from the first aid room to give Sara-Jane her privacy as she got into the ambulance.

The crews gave her gas and air and took her to Dorset County Hospital. Sara-Jane said she arrived on the ward and gave birth just five minutes later to baby Jacob James Patrick Pittaway.

Sara-Jane said the store staff went ‘above and beyond’ to help her and praised Jerry, who was prepared to help her give birth if needed.

She said: “I’d like to say a massive thank you. I’m so grateful for the way they treated me.”

Now back home in Weymouth, Sara-Jane and baby Jacob are doing well and enjoying family life with proud dad Samuel Miles and their daughter Ruby-May, four.

Sara-Jane said Ruby was ‘very proud’ of her baby brother, adding: “Her face lit up when she saw him.”

Morrisons duty manager Jerry, a dad of three himself, said it was an ‘unbelievable’ experience and paid tribute to his staff who helped to grab towels and water.

He added: “It was quite unbelievable. You go into automatic mode. Sara-Jane needed help and I was glad I was there to give it.”