A mum has written a book about how NHS doctors and nurses saved her daughter’s life – and won praise from a celebrity author.

Baby Sophie was just 10 minutes old when staff at the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, put her on a ventilator and doctors sucked liquid from her lungs.

Mum Emma Innes, from Sevenoaks, said: "Once she was delivered it became apparent that she really wasn’t very well.

"Sophie was a full-term, 8lb baby – we expected everything to be fine.

"She wasn’t breathing or moving, was kind of blue and wasn't doing anything that newborn babies are supposed to do.

"The midwife hit the emergency buzzer and the room filled with medics from A&E."

It turned out Sophie had been starved of oxygen during labour and had severe cases of both sepsis and meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS).

MAS is when a newborn breathes in a mixture of meconium and amniotic fluid into their lungs while still in the womb.

It is still not known why or how this happened to Sophie.

Emma added: "In the delivery room she had to be resuscitated and an incredible doctor spent a long time suctioning fluid out of her lungs.

"My husband, who remembers it a lot more clearly than me, says it was absolutely horrific to watch.

"However, his actions were the most crucial in saving her life.

"She was then put on a ventilator in the delivery room at only 10 minutes old."

The 33-year-old mum says she and her husband Jamie felt "helpless" as new parents at the time.

She said: "I didn’t get to hold her until she was nine days old.

"We weren’t able to be parents to her, other than to sit by her.

"You couldn’t even hold her hand as she was so covered in medical equipment.

"The overriding thing was just us willing her to live – one day at a time."

Only a few hours old, Sophie was moved in a ventilator from critical care at the Royal Free Hospital to intensive care at the University College London Hospital (UCLH) by the Neonatal Transfer Service.

This resulted in Emma being separated from her daughter.

"It was very traumatic," she recalled. "You picture yourself cuddling and taking photos, with all the grandparents coming to visit.

"It wasn’t like that on any level. I was still at the Royal Free when she was transferred to UCLH initially.

"I didn’t even know if she was still alive and was put in a bereavement room because she wasn’t with me. That was horrible."

After spending 10 days in intensive care and a total of three weeks in hospital, Sophie eventually recovered.

She is now a happy, healthy and animal-obsessed seven-year-old.

The couple were also able to have a second child, George, four, through a planned caesarean which went "smoothly".

On the anniversary of Sophie being discharged from UCLH, Emma will be publishing a book on the story of her birth and critical illness.

The mum-of-two didn't intend for it to become a book, but a cathartic release of her experience.

She also wanted to record the events in case her daughter is ever interested when she's older.

"I thought long and hard about sharing the story," Emma explained.

"These doctors and nurses work so hard, the difference they can make to people’s lives is mind-blowing.

"The book is a thank you letter to them."

In Their Hands: A Fight for Life at One Minute Old will be out on all available platforms today (Monday).

The book has already been praised by English author, actress, podcaster and 2020 I'm a Celebrity winner Giovanna Fletcher.

She said: "This book captured my heart. Full of love, kindness and strength – a true letter of gratitude to those who take on the challenging job of caring for others in their time of need.

"We can often find ourselves worrying about the unimportant, but Sophie’s story is a reminder to stop sweating the small stuff, and to be thankful for the here and now."

Emma added: "She was one of the first people to read it, even when it was a complete mess and not formatted!

"Giovanna has been so kind, so supportive – I’m very grateful to her."

All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Early Lives, the charity of the University College London Hospital’s neonatal unit.