Brent Farrell, Dad, Knocked Down Locked Door To Deliver Son

A new study has found that, on average, labor now takes about two hours longer than it did 50 years ago. But if researchers had included a few new moms who gave birth recently, that number might bounce back up.

When Amy Cray's contractions started, she thought she had time. Being a sensible Englishwoman from Stapleford, U.K., she had tea with her partner, Brent Farrell, before heading out the door last Thursday. Dad told the local Nottingham paper that Amy wasn't in excessive pain when she started having contractions, but he knew they needed to leave for the hospital. During tea time, Amy went to the bathroom -- and then her pain worsened. Brent had gone to pack the car when he heard Amy screaming; her water had broken, and she couldn't move. ITVNews reports that Amy had accidentally locked the door, so Dad had to "smash it open" to deliver his son, Sebastian, at 7:13 am. The ambulance arrived 17 minutes later. According to the paper, "he's a perfect, healthy baby."

Just two days earlier, on this side of the pond, Ashley Hoylman, 28, of Keokuk County, Iowa, ended up having her third child before she ever made it to the maternity ward. Her husband, Jeremiah, had started driving towards Mercy Iowa City hospital. Ashley told the AP that once they were in the car, she knew she wouldn’t make it all the way there. Jeremiah, a volunteer firefighter, pulled off the highway and onto a gravel road, then called an emergency dispatcher for assistance. "He took his shirt off and wrapped the baby with his shirt. Then he took the drawstring from my pants and wrapped it around my umbilical cord," Ashley explained. Mom, dad, and new baby, Brecken, waited for an ambulance to take them to the hospital. The family will return home by the end of the week, KCRG reports.

A few days before that, on March 30th, Christy Henry of San Diego delivered her own baby as her husband, Matt, raced at 85 mph to the hospital. It was four days past her due date when Christy woke up at midnight; she knew the time had come. Matt brought their older son to a friend's house, returned home -– to the 41-foot boat they live on -– and then escorted his wife to their car. UTSanDiego.com reports that when Christy announced that her water had broken, Matt began to speed up. And then Christy said, "I just had the baby." Dad proceeded to the hospital where he got to cut the umbilical cord. "My wife is such a rock star," he said.

A week before Henry's quick delivery, Katherine Oyedoh went into labor 36,000 feet above ground on a flight from Africa to Atlanta. Luckily, there was an OBGYN on board who was able to deliver the baby. A flight attendant took the baby and lifted him across the seats as the whole airplane applauded. "It was a 'Lion King' moment," she told Tampa Bay Online.

These aren't the only moms who didn't make it to the hospital. Check out the ten craziest birth places we've heard of... yet.

Loading Slideshow

• In A Tree

  In 2000, Sofia Pedro <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2000/mar/02/mozambique1" target="_hplink">climbed a tree</a> to escape the floodwaters in Mozambique, Africa. The brave mom held onto branches as she delivered her baby Rosita. A few minutes later, they were rescued by a South African helicopter crew, umbilical cord still attached.

• At McDonald's

  In 2007, McDonald's employee Danille Miller -- who didn't know she was pregnant -- felt a sudden urge to run to the bathroom during her shift. A few minutes later, she <a href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2007/12/30/baby-born-at-mcdonald-s-mom-didn-t-know-she-was-pregnant.aspx" target="_hplink">gave birth to baby Austin</a>. Sources were unable to confirm if she changed her greeting to, "Would you like a baby with that burger?"

• In A Library

  Dominique Trevino was on the way to the hospital by bus in 2009 when she started <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_11573019" target="_hplink">having contractions</a>. Another passenger, who worked at the hospital, told her to get off at the library. Once inside, library security pitched in to help deliver her baby girl. She only had to push twice.

• At A Post Office

  Sonia Marina Nascimento stopped by a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/8050190.stm" target="_hplink">post office in England</a> to buy a mobile phone credit -- but got more than just a top up: she went into labor and gave birth to a baby girl right there. The post-master, who put the baby on the scales (and handled her with care?), said she weighed "the equivalent of an £8.22 first class parcel."

• On A Sidewalk

  In 2009, Tiffany Kohls gave birth a few <a href="http://www.wkow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11431007" target="_hplink">feet away from a hospital</a> in Wisconsin. She said there was no stopping her son Kellen's arrival. Security guards and a nurse helped delivered him.

• In A Car (That She Was Driving)

  In 2010, Amanda McBride felt like she was <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/05/minnesota-woman-gives-birth-while-driving-herself-to-the-hospital/1" target="_hplink">going into labor</a>, so she picked up her husband -- who suffers from seizures -- and headed towards the hospital. While en route, her water broke and her husband took the wheel. "And then, all of a sudden, I heard this little waa-a-a-a (cry)," he said.

• On A Highway Shoulder

  A New Jersey couple was on their way to the hospital when mom Alshesirca started having contractions on the <a href="http://www.northjersey.com/news/transportation/011011_Woman_gives_birth_on_parkway_husband_delivers_child.html" target="_hplink">Garden State Parkway</a>. Dad-to-be Nelson pulled over and delivered his baby on the side of the road with a 911 operator guiding him. "I was just glad we were driving our truck and not our Civic," said mom.

• At 40,000 Feet

  In September, Aida Alamillo was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/21/baby-born-on-plane-nation_n_973437.html" target="_hplink">flying from Manila to San Francisco</a> when she went into pre-term labor. Three nurses on board and cabin crew members helped deliver baby Kevin Raymar Francis Domingo --"Francis" because they were en route to San Francisco.

• On The Internet

  OK, so she was technically at home, but Nancy Salgueiro set up a high-definition video camera in her living room in Canada to <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/10/17/ottawa-live-birth-online.html" target="_hplink">livestream the birth of her son</a>. More than 2,000 people registered to watch online. Her two-year-old son cut the umbilical cord.

• In An Art Gallery

  Performance artist Marni Kotak <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/26/marni-kotak-performance-a_n_1032365.html" target="_hplink">made headlines</a> earlier this year when she announced her plans to give birth inside a New York art gallery because it is the "highest form of art." With approximately 20 people in the room, she delivered baby Ajax in late October. Footage of the birth will be added to an upcoming exhibition at the Microscope Gallery in Brooklyn.

From our partners

• 25 Considerations For Naming Baby - LilSugar
• A Letter To My Postpartum, Hormonal Completely Overwhelmed Self - Mommyish
• 6 Tips For Getting More Veggies Into Your Kid's Diet - BabyCenter

Comments

[gailmaries]

08:30 AM on 04/11/2012

Lovely story, but as a midwife, the last time I looked, it's the mum who delivers the baby. She delivers, dads (and I) catch.

Regarding what to do with the umbilical cord, the currently revised practice is to leave the cord uncut for some time to allow pulsing to cease or until after the placenta is delivered by mum (or even not cut at all, for some families). There is no reason to cut the cord early, as has been the practice for decades. That came into fashion for NO good medical reason, and was simply carried on. Benefits of delayed cord clamping have now been proven (Google it), and the old practice can now be referred to as 'premature clamping of the cord.' Many hospitals and doctors are revising their practices. Many midwives are simply continuing to leave cords intact longer, as they have been doing, but are now pleased to find the medical literature finally catching up. Newborns who need resuscitation especially need this source of oxygen, so should be resuscitated whilst on mum's bed.

Keep those shoelaces and drawstrings, and as I recently read, ID badge cords, away from newborns, please. Those little ones need all their oxygenated blood volume, some of which is still circulating in the placenta until it's done, so leave them be. Newborn to mum's belly/chest, dry them off, cover with blankets, don't separate them, encourage latching when baby is ready, wrap placenta and keep at baby's side. Simple!

[Normtuba]

11:56 PM on 04/10/2012

Child survival now is much better than it was even 100 years ago. My father's mother had six children; two died in infancy (roughly 100 years ago). What was the most common type of photograph in the 1800's? Deceased children--they were photographed to provide a keepsake. See: http://www.shadesofthedeparted.com/2008/06/i-still-think-shes-dead-and-heres-why.html Like so many other medical advances, the considerable reduction in infant mortality rates is a blessing.

[geauxangel]

12:18 AM on 04/13/2012

I agree...although I also feel that each mom should do what she feels is best for her, none of my three children would have survived birth at home...breech and premature, placent previa, and no fluid...I thank the heavens everyday for doctors and hospitals.....my children are happy, healthy and perfect....some mommies need or want technology and hospitals......some do not....it's all ok...

[MerryMayhem]

05:03 PM on 04/10/2012

Having gone thru a horrific pregnancy I endured 17 hours of labor and ended up having a high forceps delivery. Two epidurals which only worked on one side so they with drew the epidurals.

Every time and every woman I know asks, why on earth did I want another one? Until it's over!

Then they turn 12 or 13 and it's like hard labor day in and day out! Why do we do it? LOL

[noodles865]

02:35 AM on 04/11/2012

It is the rotten sneaky hormones that kick in and play some kind of twisted game with our common sense......

[ashisu]

02:29 PM on 04/10/2012

There's really no medical reason to clamp the umbilical right away in these sort of situations. In fact, there are many advantages to delayed cord clamping. The baby receives a flow of cord blood and stem cells into their body which can lower their risk of certain diseases later in life. Also, it's unsanitary to tie off the cord with a drawstring or shoelace. Think about how many germs may be on them. It's much safer to wait and let a medical professional help you clamp and cut it.

[Cassandra L Chapa]

03:48 PM on 04/10/2012

Thank you. I've always wondered what should be done about the umbilical cord in one of these situations. I'm due in a few weeks and my biggest fear is not making it to the hospital in time!

[INTOH2OH]

08:00 PM on 04/10/2012

Perhaps you should confirm this info with a professional...you never know who posts these comments...just sayin. Good luck!

[ksl417]

01:55 PM on 04/10/2012

I have two children both born in hospitals with drugs! yay for me... it did not hurt my babies, which are two of the most healthy kids i know, if it doesn't have to hurt why should it! I took the "easy" way and that doesn't me a bad mom. i think people who don't take the drugs are crazy but i respect them and their choice. i couldn't do it thats for sure! I had to be induced the first time because me and the baby were getting too big. i could have let it go but it would made me have to have a c-sec. and the second time i had a c-sec because of breech they said they could turn her from the outside but that didn't sound like a good idea to me, being held down while they tried to push the baby with all their weight. sometimes drugs are easier and better, should we says well sorry you can't have kids because you are a sissy never mind the fact that you would be a great mother you can't handle a "natural birth" so you are out of luck! don't even get me started on breast feeding.... you won't like what i have to say there

[ashisu]

02:47 PM on 04/10/2012

Everyone is different. Hospitals and pain meds work best for some, but in healthy, uncomplicated pregnancies, if the mother wants to birth at home, in a pool, without pain reliever, then she should do just that. Neither scenerio makes one a "good" or "bad" mother. It's whatever works for them. I chose to birth in a hospital but labor without pain meds. I made this decision after extensive and careful research. When complications arose during my labor (I wasn't dialating no matter what we tried. It turned out that my daughter's head was tilted in my pelvis so she couldn't move down.) we tried different strategies and interventions. We took them one at a time, discussed each, and asked lots of questions before consenting. After exhausting all my resources, I chose to have a c-sec. I'm confident that I did everything I could to birth vaginally and that my surgery was absolutely necessary. I feel that my decisions were informed and respected the entire time. And that's what I hope for other women. No matter what their birth decisions are, I only hope that they are informed about the pros, cons, risks, and side-effects.

[geauxangel]

12:21 AM on 04/13/2012

Yay for you..I to am no fan of pain and got epidurals asap...my kids are fine....why suffer when we don't have to...having a baby at horme, all natural does not make you a better mommy than me having mine by c-section..all of us moms should praise each other instead ot it always being us moms against those moms...

[ktmckinsey]

12:05 PM on 04/10/2012

Women don't make it to the hospital because it's often difficult to judge whether you're going to be pushing soon or if it will take a few more hours. Generally, the hospital will send you home if you're not dilated enough. Having contractions while buckled into a car is excruciating. I'd only want to travel one direction while in labor. Waiting too long can obviously have other outcomes...

I know that there are cost/time constraints associated with a hospital/birthing center birth, but it would be great if they would let the woman stay once she's made it to the hospital. I'd be happy to leave sooner after the birth instead of being sent home at the outset.

[Carla Peele]

12:55 PM on 04/10/2012

I remember my first pregnancy-- they sent me home FOUR TIMES. (And that hospital was an hour away from my home, so it was a PAIN.) Fortunately I now have an OB whose office is less than 20 minutes from my house (and the hospital he works out of is less than 8), so that's perfect--- of course now it's been 5 years since I've been pregnant, LOL...

[hellyon3too]

02:45 AM on 04/11/2012

Sometimes women don't make it to the hospital because, like me, they aren't having any pain. I only went because my water broke, and barely made it in time. No pain, but I was in labor? Who knew, lol?

[hharrison22]

11:52 AM on 04/10/2012

Whoa...Having a baby in a tree, now that's intense.

"The child psychologist who thought she had all the answers to parenting until she became one herself." www.themommypsychologist.com

[Emily Wall]

11:46 AM on 04/10/2012

I am, for one, grateful for modern medicine and hospital births. My first child was an all natural birth in the hospital, and no drugs. Her heart stopped beating once delivered and they had to preform CPR to resusitate her. I also experienced comlications that would have required an ambulance had I tried to give birth at home. My second child was a mandatory c-section, being that I had a placenta previa, which would have caused me to hemmorahage to death had I delivered naturally, and most likely would have killed the baby as well. I'm all for the freedom of choice; I'm happy to support those who choose childbirth at home. However, I expect those who choose home childbirth to respect the decisions of those that choose hospitals as well.

[Carla Peele]

12:52 PM on 04/10/2012

Yes, absolutely. I had wished I could've had a home-birth the first time, but the second time there just was no way because of a blood clot in the placenta--- my son and I almost died. I do thank God that the doctors caught it and induced prematurely. (He's 5 now and tougher than nails.)

[Antidiot]

11:37 AM on 04/12/2012

If you had been under the care of a midwife they would have done CPR just the same and the placenta previa would still have been caught when they did the ultrasound and you would have been referred to an OB at that time. people who do home births are not reckless. Each birth is different and each woman should have their babies where they feel most comfortable and get whatever appropriate care is necessary.

[NYCKitty]

11:25 AM on 04/10/2012

Unless one has a medical condition (READ what I said before flying off the handle), I don't understand the need to give birth in a hospital. If comfort is an issue then maybe having children should be reconsidered - there's nothing comfortable about squeezing a watermelon out of something the size of a lemon. Our grand and great-grandmothers more than often gave birth at home (and yes, usually to perfectly healthy babies).

Read anything by Ina May Gaskin (she's a genius!) and watch "Pregnant in America" and "The Business of Being Born".

I do wish that more hospitals would have birthing facilities, giving women the chance to have a natural (meaning NO drugs at all) childbirth. And insurance companies need to start covering midwives and doulas more often than they do.

Childbirth should NOT be a million (or is it billion?) dollar industry!

[Carla Peele]

12:42 PM on 04/10/2012

I had such a trouble-free pregnancy the first time, I wished I could have had him at home. I wanted that desperately, but, my husband was a worrisome sort, and insisted that especially because I had steel rods in my back from childhood scoliosis, we have a hospital birth. Because the baby was half his too, I agreed. The second time, I didn't have any choice in the matter--- a blood clot in my placenta had me on constant monitoring and forced a premature induced delivery. Though, I can say that I had NO drugs during this premature birth.

In my state they do NOT have water birthing facilities, however--- which is something I also do not like, but, I could not go out of state just to have a baby. (Especially the SECOND baby, when you want your first one close by you and the newborn.)

[NYCKitty]

03:32 PM on 04/10/2012

I totally understand if there's a medical condition. But too often there isn't. Women shouldn't be afraid of birthing their babies.

Of course ask me this when I'm in labor............

[BrooklynChef]

02:48 PM on 04/10/2012

"Our grand and great-grandmothers more than often gave birth at home (and yes, usually to perfectly healthy babies). "

They also had a much higher infant mortality rate during said child birth.

"Childbirth should NOT be a million (or is it billion?) dollar industry!"
Why not? You don't like capitalism? Move to Cuba.

[NYCKitty]

03:31 PM on 04/10/2012

My great-grandmother had 10 pregnancies...and 10 live births, all at home, starting in 1900, in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland.

The last "child" is now 93 and while she has had some ailments that go along w/being 93, she is still ticking.

My grandmother lived to be 90. Most of my aunts and uncles lived to the mid to late 80's (both in the US and Ireland).

I realize that probably wasn't the norm for those days but you can't compare 1900 to 2012.

As for capitalism - childbirth should NOT be a "business". It's life and therefore should NEVER have a price tag attached to it.

[dragondancer1814]

10:45 AM on 04/10/2012

Why the fuss? Women have been having babies at home for thousands of years-having them in hospitals is a relatively "new" trend, having only been around since the late 1800s or thereabouts. Granted, in those days the maternal and infant mortality rate was appalling due to risk of infection or poor maternal health, but these days if you're healthy, low-risk, and live close enough to a hospital in case complications do occur, there's no reasons why women shouldn't be able to deliver in a freestanding birth center or at home attended by a certified nurse-midwife. Unfortunately, partly due to malpractice insurance rates and partly due to considerable resistance by OBs, it's a lot harder for women who want to have midwife-attended or out-of-hospital deliveries to be able to get them.

Even midwives who deliver in hospitals are not safe; the hospital in the next county drove their midwives out by jacking up the malpractice insurance rates. However, they had plenty of money to remodel the birthing unit complete with cherrywood paneling, homelike walls, and a hair dryer in every bathroom. What woman in labor is going to give a rat's a$$ about a HAIR DRYER?

[NYCKitty]

11:30 AM on 04/10/2012

I totally agree with you. I am pro-natural childbirth (of course never having even been pregnant but hey, I think women should have CHOICES on the birth of their children) and it disgusts me how hospitals are making this a million dollar industry. And don't get me started on all the drugs they give laboring women - there's no need to speed up labor (unless medically necessary). Labor is a natural process that millions of women have gone through in the past without the need of drugs.

We wonder why there are so many more cases of autism (and I'm not linking the childbirth process to autism but opening a door of things that make you go hmmmmm...) and children with severe allergies.

[Carla Peele]

12:50 PM on 04/10/2012

Natural childbirth (and I speak from the experience of two natural births) can be done, but it HURTS. Not to mention, what they show on TV of thirty minutes and it slides out? No. Both of my labors were 12 and 1/2 hours EACH. I wished mine had been sped up, and I'm sure the people in the room with me did, because you're not a happy pleasant person when you feel like you have a lightsaber cutting into your abdomen over and over again or when it gets to the push part and you feel like your pelvis is being ripped in half by giant fireballs... (My son was two before my mother forgave me for some of the stuff I said while I was in labor, LOL.)

Completely WORTH it, don't get me wrong, adore my two mun-chi-chis, and would love a third baby more than anything. I just really hope that my third labor is NOT as long as the other two...

[hellyon3too]

02:58 AM on 04/11/2012

Oh, let's see. Come back and talk to us once you've been through a pregnancy, labor and delivery.

Yeah, yeah, labor is a natural process that millions of women have gone through in the past. Some of them died. A lot of them would have welcomed drugs if they'd had the chance. It's so easy to have an opinion when you've never experienced it yourself.

[ohwhen]

03:06 PM on 04/10/2012

Ladies who can go natural, I support their choices.

Had I not had a C-section in a hospital, I could have had complications from my hypertension and died. I have two great kids from C-sections. Recovering from them was really hard.

I would strongly recommend to another woman to consider all of her options before pushing for a C-section.