"We delivered our own babies"

THESE mothers delivered their precious bundles in the car or on the side of the road – with no medical assistance.

Birth B+S

BIRTH plan or not, babies will make their way into the world whenever they're ready.

------- "My daughter was born on the curb on the side of a busy road"

Carmen Fazzino, 37, mum of Max, 11, Olivia, nine, and Daniel, five.

“My daughter Olivia was born on March 12, 2003 – I was at home with my toddler Max when I started to feel a bit squeamish. My sister Jacqui called and said we should go to the hospital, so we all got in the car for the 20-minute drive.

“We had a good run, but I was having contractions as we were driving and trying to stay calm because we had little Max in the back. My waters hadn’t broken but it got to the stage where I could feel the baby’s head. I was crammed in the front seat while Jacqui was on the phone to the ambulance and I was trying to block it out and pretend it wasn’t happening, but I could feel the head and had to get out of the car and lie down.

“We pulled over on a busy road and stopped the car. I opened the car door and was literally on the curb on a bit of grass next to the road. We had no towels, no blankets, nothing. I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t happening but I couldn’t stop myself from pushing – my body took over completely.

“I lay on the grass, pulled down my pants and within a couple of pushes, the baby came out! It all happened so fast – it was so traumatic and emotional. I wrapped her in my top and after about four minutes the ambulance arrived – we were all okay and Olivia was perfect.

“Even now, every time it is Olivia’s birthday, every time we drive past that spot, Jacqui and I ring each other and remember what we went through. Olivia’s birth certificate even says ‘Born en route’ and Jacqui is her godmother – they will always have a special connection. You wouldn’t even dream that it could happen to you, but you can’t change it – that’s nature.”

------ "My first daughter was born without me realising; the second arrived roadside"

Mary Gorgens, 31, mum of Max, three, Ava, 23 months, and Sienna, seven months.

“The labour for my first baby, Max, was two hours from start to finish, but I made it to the hospital just in time! For my second baby, Ava, the labour was an hour and a half and this time I didn’t make it. I went from no pain to full-on pain within minutes – basically zero to 100 straight away.

“My husband Simon helped me get into the car, but as we were leaving I said, ‘I don’t think we are going to make it, I can feel her coming!’ I knew I couldn’t hold on; she was coming fast and I was pushing and had no control.

“About five minutes from the hospital, I felt as if she had been born but I wasn’t sure – I was in the front passenger seat, fully clothed. My midwife Erin was waiting for us at the front of the hospital. She threw open the door, pulled down my pants and found Ava down my leg, still in her sac! Erin broke the sac, got her out and checked her over right there in front of the hospital. Ava was completely fine and her hospital card reads ‘Mummy’ as midwife!

“The labour for my third baby, Sienna, was 50 minutes from start to finish. It started like my first two – quick as a flash. Simon got me into the car, strapped me in and we left immediately. Pretty much straight away I was pushing, so he got up on the median strip, pulled down my pants and Sienna was already out past her head! He helped deliver the rest of her, placed her on me and got on the phone to my midwife to tell her. He then floored it to hospital and again the midwife was waiting. On Sienna’s hospital card it reads, ‘Midwife: Daddy’.

“The labours were so dramatic and it’s still unbelievable when we think about it, but at the end of the day we have three healthy children and I’m very grateful.”

----- "I delivered my own baby in the front seat of our new car"

Marcelle Ventoura, 35, mum of Aya, 16 months.

“My waters broke at 11.30pm a week and bit out from my due date. It took me a while to figure out what had happened, and my husband Adam and I decided to carry on with what we were doing and see how things went. We went to bed at about 1am and listened to a relaxation CD.

“At about 3am I woke Adam up as the contractions had escalated. We had had it drummed into us not to call the birth centre until my contractions were five minutes apart and two minutes in duration – so we waited and then gave them a call. The midwife advised that if the pain increased I should use the shower as pain relief and then call them back when the contractions were two to three minutes apart. As I stepped out of the shower I reached down and thought that I could feel the baby’s head between my legs, but I thought that I must have been mistaken.

“Somehow I managed to shuffle into the front seat of our car and sat with my feet on the dashboard. I called out, ‘I think I’m having the baby’, and with barely enough time for Adam to stop I gave one more push – the third – and my beautiful daughter shot out into my arms. Adam describes it as me catching her like a prize football player.

“It was the most surreal experience of my life. In the first few nano seconds after she was born a barrage of thoughts ran through my mind: ‘What if the cord is wrapped around her neck?’, ‘What if she’s not breathing?’ It was as though I was having an out-of-body experience – I remember wondering how I could be so calm.

“Everyone says the first drive home with the baby is the most nerve-wracking experience of Dad’s life, but poor Adam had to drive to the hospital with a brand new baby unrestrained in the front seat!”

**** 4 things you should know if your baby arrives sooner than expected

Labour generally takes more than a few hours and most women have enough time to get to a hospital. But Dr Andrew Foote, president of the National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, says women who live more than 45 minutes from hospital should look at staying nearby for the last 10 days.

“Also, if the mum feels like pushing it may be better to stay at home and deliver the baby there. Call the ambulance and get them to talk you through the birth,” Foote says.

If you are in transit and the baby is coming you should:

1. Call an ambulance

Medical professionals can talk you through the basics and make sure help is on the way.

2. Don’t panic

Pull over and stop. Remember, giving birth is natural. “The most common problem is a cold baby, so make sure the baby is warm,” says Hannah Dahlen, associate professor of Midwifery at the University of Western Sydney.

3. Lie down in the back seat

“Put something soft under you in case the baby comes out rapidly,” Dahlen says. “When the baby is born, put them on your skin, dry them off, cover them with a warm, clean towel and wait for help to arrive.”

4. Don’t cut the cord

You can tie it with a shoelace if you have one. If the placenta comes out by itself, put in a container and take it with you to hospital. “If the baby does not breathe, rub up and down the back with a towel. The ambulance or hospital can talk to you with further advice if you have problems,” Dahlen says.