Freya Tischler born seven days early in Whitsunday family’s bathroom

Paramedics were forced to help deliver a bub in a bathtub after a mum had been in labour for 12 hours without realising. The comedy of errors continued when the ambulance got bogged on the way to hospital.

Baby Freya’s entrance into the world was dramatic – seven days early and in the arms of a paramedic crouched near the bathtub inside a Whitsunday home.

There was no time to get to Proserpine Hospital, mother Hanna Morice said, even though the medical centre was less than 10 minutes away.

“She was on the way,” Ms Morice said.

The mum of two had been in labour for more than 12 hours without realising.

“I thought they were Braxton Hicks,” the 26 year old said on Wednesday at Proserpine Hospital.

Ms Morice said she began having some cramps about 3-4am Tuesday, but with her due date not until May 10 she thought nothing of them and “continued on with my day”.

“My water didn’t break, I just thought it was severe cramps,” she said.

By 3-4pm, she said the cramping became worse, so she decided to jump in the shower.

“I was fine in the shower … when I got out things went from zero to 100,” Ms Morice said.

At this point, she rang her partner of 11 years, Braid Tischler, and said “you need to come home, we need to get to the hospital”.

This was about 4.30pm. By the time the 28-year-old father arrived at their Preston home about 5-5.30pm, Ms Morice said she had had her final contraction, her water had broken and she was at “the pushing stage”.

“My partner said we have to get in the car, but I said we don’t have time,” she said.

Ms Morice said she got into the bathtub.

As his partner was about to have their second child, the paramedics arrived.

“I was a little bit panicked. I wasn’t surrounded by doctors and midwives to make sure everything is OK,” she said.

“But at the same time I knew I didn’t have any choice, kind of just got to accept it’s going to happen there.”

Ms Morice said both her partner and the paramedics tried to get her to move from the bathtub but she knew there was no time.

“I would have preferred to have her there instead of on the side of the road,” Ms Morice added.

And at 6pm “on the dot” on May 3, 2022 little Freya Tischler was born.

Ms Morice said the paramedics were “amazing”.

“They were perfect, they couldn’t have been better,” she said, adding the male paramedic came straight in to help.

“He was the one who caught the baby.”

But on the way to the hospital after the birth, the ambulance became bogged at the property and had to wait for an RACQ assist.

Faith Tischler, 2 with her new baby sister Freya Tischler.

Ms Morice said the family unit ended up driving themselves in about 10pm that night.

Their older daughter Faith Tischler, 2, was also there for the birth of her baby sister.

Ms Morice said her eldest was meant to be staying with family, but with Freya’s early and fast arrival little Faith was also there for the magical moment.

And while Faith did not witness the actual birth, Ms Morice said there were some beautiful photos to capture the little girl’s awe and “eyes widening up” when she saw her sister for the first time.

“She is a good big sister,” she said.

Ms Morice praised her partner, her high school sweetheart who she met when she was 15 year old.

“He’s amazing. I’m very lucky,” she said.