Mom delivers her own baby on the roadside while her five other kids wait in the car
Moms, it’s said, can handle anything. Evidently, some people also do their own childbirth!
That is just what Heather Skaats, a mother from Kentucky, did on May 15. While her other five children awaited in the car, she gave birth on the side of the road.
Heather told TODAY Parents, “I was getting minor contractions before we left, so I assumed I had time to run an errand.”
The 34-year-old mother mentioned that she had three weeks till her due date and that she had gone through lengthy labor with her prior children.
I anticipated having a kid in my arms eight to ten hours later, Heather remarked.
However, her contractions started to get more frequent and closer together all of a sudden, signaling that she was already in labor.
In an effort to have her planned at-home water birth, as she had in the past, Heather sped up her car. She didn’t have enough time, it turned out.
She remembered, “I pulled over, told the kids everything was OK, then I grabbed my phone and stepped out of the vehicle.”
When Heather’s water broke, she was squatting on the ground next to some grass.
She claimed, “When I placed my hand down there, his head started coming out with his body.” There was no need for me to push. That was so quick. I was talking to my husband, Nick, on the phone when I heard, “He’s here!
Heather managed to catch her seven-pound infant. The little child immediately began to wail and opened his eyes to gaze at his mother.
She remembered, “I responded, ‘Yeah, buddy, that was fun, huh?'” He was soon covered with a blanket by her.
Heather carefully re-entered the vehicle while her other children, including Kaelynn, 13, Aneleigh, 11, Austin, 6, Luke, 3, and Alyssa, 2, anxiously awaited to meet their new brother.
Leilah, a child of Heather and her husband, died of cancer in 2016 when she was 4 years old.
She claimed, “I drove with him close to my chest, wrapped in a blanket. “I believe the kids were startled. They were rather silent.
When they came home, Heather and Kaelynn, her oldest child, assisted Heather in delivering her placenta in the shower. Her midwives helped her remove the grass from her baby’s skin once they arrived around ten minutes later.
It’s amazing that Heather was able to maintain her composure throughout the event, but she attributes it to experience.
She remarked, “I believe having previous home deliveries sort of educated me to trust my body. Knowing the procedure was quite helpful.
The names for the newest member of Heather and her husband’s family are still on their minds. The names of the streets close to where he was born, Porter or Wolf, are being considered.
On her Facebook, Heather posted the good news.
“I’m still in disbelief that I gave birth to my own child on the side of the highway. But he’s great, the kids love having dad around, and this was a day I’ll never forget,” she said.
Heather said that her spouse wasn’t very pleased about missing the significant event.
But at least he was present when she called to announce that she would give birth on the side of the road.
This mother is a true champion. Congratulations to the Skaats family on your newest addition!
