Babies Do Come Quickly Sometimes…

Years ago, a woman expecting her 3^rd baby called me reporting contractions for 1 hour. Her contractions were 5 minutes apart. We made a plan that she would wake her husband and meet me at the hospital in an hour. I was waiting for her at the emergency room door when the ER got a call that my client had delivered in her car up at the local Sunoco station. The most difficult part of that delivery was getting her and the baby into the hospital on the coldest night of the year!

In another case, one of our homebirth clients called after 30 minutes of contractions. We had not even left town when her second baby made its healthy entrance. A 45 minute labor.

Rapid Deliveries Occur But Are Not Common

These very rapid deliveries are actually very uncommon. It is unusual for labor to go so quickly that we aren’t with the woman as her baby makes its appearance.

Despite that reality, women worry a lot about not knowing that they are in labor and giving birth outside of the hospital. This is generally an unfounded concern. In my opinion, women should be much more concerned about having a long, drawn-out labor.

Rapid Deliveries Typically Have a Happy Ending

For our quick birth this week, I am happy that I was able to be at the hospital awaiting their arrival. For, although rapid deliveries generally have a happy ending, the last couple of minutes before the baby comes are terrifying for unattended women and their families. As the midwife, I can be the calm in the storm. I was happy to be that calm for Dana and Joe this week as their precious daughter sprinted to her birth.

Image Shown: Lisa caught this baby in the parking lot at Morristown Medical Center. Thank goodness Amanda came running too so Dana and Joe still get birth pictures!