The only help Mariah Grove had in giving birth Monday came from her baby.
Home alone as a blizzard pounded the Indianapolis area earlier this week, Grove called her mother and the midwife when the contractions began, RTV reports. But as the baby's arrival became imminent in the wee hours of the morning, she knew no one could reach her in time for the delivery.
"The toughest part emotionally was just accepting that [the baby] and I were alone and there was nothing to be done about it," Grove told The Huffington Post.
Grove said she had to remind herself to "breathe through the pain and not tense up." Her baby, Evangeline Beatrix Grove, arrived pink and crying about two weeks early. Both mom and "Evie," as the girl will be called, are doing fine.
"Once the water broke and I realized this was it, all fear went away," Grove said to RTV6. "I realized it wasn't going to help me and that we would be a team and do this together. And we did it."
Emergency home births are rare but some can happen when an expectant mom isn't prepared, according to BabyCenter.com. Less than 1 percent of births involve a woman who's had little or no labor symptoms but suddenly feels the urge to push, the website notes.
"My advice to any future moms who find themselves in the same situation is to be calm," Grove explained to HuffPost. "Focus on your baby and how soon you will get to meet her. Talk to your baby and work as a team. And most importantly, don't let yourself entertain even one negative thought. Our bodies were made to do this and it's the most natural thing ever."