The baby was not due until April 30, yet decided to arrive earlier than the expected due date, on April 12. The good thing was the pregnant mom works from home. On the day of her unexpected home birth, her elder child would be dropped off at school shortly before she would deliver her baby at home.
Her Labor Story
Mothership revealed that the 35-year-old mother-of-one Lee started to feel contractions around 7 am. Her husband, 38-year-old Lin, would later drop off their elder child at school at around 9 am. Shortly after sending the child to school, the wife called her husband asking him to bring her to the hospital. It was time for her to give birth.
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Unexpected Delivery of Baby
However, when the husband arrived, the couple realized there would be no time to rush to the hospital. The wife just finished sending a work-related email when her water bag broke, and she started to feel intense pain. The baby started crowning while mom was in the bathroom.
They knew then that they would have to change their plans of delivering the baby at the hospital. The couple would have to carry out the natural birth on their own. They had to make that decision on the spot in the bathroom of their apartment in Singapore. The parents wanted to deliver the baby safely, so they called for help from medical experts.
Paramedics Help Parents with Home Birth
The parents called paramedics and received instructions via phone call while help was on the way. Following the paramedics' guidance, the couple delivered the baby safely within just four minutes.
Lin recalled feeling frantic at first and very afraid but decided to calm down when he saw the baby's head. No matter what, this dad-of-two wanted the birth to go smoothly. So, he started to prepare a bucket of water, some towels and followed the instructions of emergency assistance 995.
Paramedics directed the husband to lay his pregnant wife on the towels on the bathroom floor. The wife was instructed when to push, and the husband was told to make sure to hold the head of his baby.
Fortunately, the home birth was a success. Paramedics arrived within 10 minutes of the call and rushed the new mom and her newborn son to the hospital. Both mother and child are doing well. His father proudly recalls the moment saying that now he can tell his son he had been the one who delivered him into this world.
Planning a Home Birth
Mayo Clinic reveals that some parents may choose home birth over a hospital delivery. Such parents may want to go without medical intervention or labor induction. They may desire to give birth in a familiar place and be surrounded by their family during labor and delivery.
Yet, it is wise to note that home births are not always the safest option. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advise against home births, even planned ones, with a pregnancy of multiple children, breech babies, and for women who previously had a C-section delivery. Also, be open to moving to a hospital amid home birth plans when labor is not progressing, there is much bleeding, or the mother has high blood pressure. WhattoExpect also advises parents who may need to go through unplanned home births to call 911 and stay calm.
