BABY BORN IN HOSPITAL CAR PARK
AN INCREDIBLE mum is celebrating after giving birth to her new son in her car. Emma Rowlands, from Bontnewydd, Gwynedd, went into labour and was rushed to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor by partner Mike Wright.
But their baby was so keen to be born that he came into the world before they could leave their Nissan Qashqai.
Louis James Wright was born weighing 7lbs 6ozs at 1.16am on February 10.
Emma, 34, who also has two daughters, told how the drama unfolded.
On Friday, February 9, she was at 40 weeks and one day overdue.
She said: “I went along with the day as normal with my two daughters Rosie, four, and Safina, aged two and a half, and my partner Mike, 39.
“I made the girls tea and gave them a bath before putting them to bed. I tidied up the toy room and so on and then finally sat down. I fancied an Indian takeaway which we ordered and which was delivered to our house for 9pm.”
Emma said: “At 11.30pm I went to bed. My partner stayed downstairs as he does to watch a bit of TV. But at 11.45pm I heard a ‘pop’ as my waters broke.”
The pain started at midnight and Emma’s first contraction came at 12.05am with another one at 12.10am. Emma said: “At 12.14am I texted Mike to say ‘I’m uncomfortable and having pains’. I texted because I didn’t want to shout in case I woke up the girls.”
She added: “I managed to walk downstairs by myself to tell my partner I’m having them regularly and that he should call my mam to come over ASAP as she had to watch our girls.”
Her mum lives in Bodedern, Anglesey, and it can take 40 minutes to drive to the couple’s home. Mike also called the maternity assessment unit to explain the situation and they said Emma needed to be brought in as soon as possible.
At 12.55am, Emma said she “just about” managed to walk to the car.
“That’s when my contractions got worse, they were every 45 seconds, I felt a sudden urge to push.
“I kept having the urges to push all the way on the drive there. To make things worse the bypass was closed off, so Mike had to drive through Felinheli.
“This wasted precious minutes but lucky it was night time and no cars on the road.”
By 1.13am they were at Penrhosgarnedd roundabout.
“It was then I could feel the baby’s head crowning. At 1.14am the roundabout to the hospital is where I finally pushed and the baby’s head came out.
“Mike was on the phone with the midwife saying ‘The baby’s head is out!’ They told him to keep driving and get to the entrance.
“I just remembered it being a big blur and holding onto the baby’s head and focusing on getting there safely.
“At 1.15am we arrived at the roundabout where the hospital entrance is.
“Mike jumped out to press the ward button. The next thing I remember was five or six midwives running down with towels, a wheelchair etc.
“A lovely midwife called Sue opened the car door to have one look at the baby’s head, and helped me get the baby out. He was born at 1.16am on February 10 in the passenger side of our Nissan Qashqai car outside the hospital entrance.”
Emma added: “They took me up straight away to the ward with such care and dignity so I could deliver my placenta safely – all this with no medication nor drugs to help with pain. I think I’d gone past that worry of pain.
“I was just so happy and relieved that we made it just in time. It was the best labour I had had, just very intense with a hint of excitement that I just gave birth in the car.
“God knows how Mike drove there and how he kept his cool all that time. But he did and he was amazing.
“I could not have done it without him, my mum arriving on time, the roads being clear and the midwifes and of course our car. A ‘drive through’ baby indeed.”
Emma said the midwives were “amazed” by it all.
“They kept telling me that I was ‘the talk of the wards’ that night and the next day,” she said.
“I felt very special and I’m so proud of myself. Our baby boy is here safe. He made sure to come into this world with a bit of drama.”
Emma, who is a forensic science graduate is a full-time mother at present, while self-employed Mike has a business called ROCO Doors making and fixing garage doors and other fittings on Anglesey and Gwynedd.