On Video: Mom Births in Front Seat as Dad Drives

January 22, 2012

A DFW midwife I know emailed me this short video of one of her clients birthing in the front seat of her Ford Focus. Dad is driving (on the way to the birth center) and catches the end of the birth on video. Mom catches her baby, unwraps the cord and brings baby to her chest. In the moment, you just do what you have to do. I cried and laughed at the same time as I watched. Amazing.

 

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57 Comments

      • Mandi

        January 23, 2012 at 11:58 am Reply

        This is exactly what happened to us. Just didn’t get in on video. And with all the rest afterwards, we did stay home! 🙂

        Congrats to this mom! So awesome!

  • Amy

    January 22, 2012 at 9:18 pm Reply

    WONDERFUL video <3 i was so happy to have been privelaged to share in such a special moment via video and the internet. Thankyou to the mumma, dadda and wee babe for sharing their special moment with us 😀 how wonderful. She did great!!

  • Viv

    January 22, 2012 at 9:44 pm Reply

    Oh my god, this is absolutely amazing! I don’t know how calm I would be able to stay in such a spontaneous situation haha. She did such a good job.

  • Julie

    January 23, 2012 at 12:09 am Reply

    Now that’s a modern birth! I had my second in a shopping mall food court. I think there’s a good case for just staying home eh?

  • Shanna

    January 23, 2012 at 12:10 am Reply

    OMG this is amazing!!! Congrats to the new mommy and daddy!! I was so amazed and over joyed by this video I had to show my husband!

  • Wendy

    January 23, 2012 at 5:26 am Reply

    Well, that”s one birth we know was intervention-free!

    Seriously, this is amazing. I can’t get over how calm the Mama is as she pulls the baby up out of her pants and calls 911!

    I also can’t believe the Daddy caught in on film and didn’t crash the car :).

    • Addy

      January 23, 2012 at 12:09 pm Reply

      I *think* she was talking to her midwife to determine if they should still plan on showing up at the birth center, which is where they were headed.

  • Marlene

    January 23, 2012 at 5:57 am Reply

    While really cool video, I’m absolutely mortified that the dad was videoing while driving down the highway. Congratulations on the birth, and I’m glad everyone was ok (because of the driving and videoing, not because I feel unassisted birth is dangerous).

    • KAS

      February 7, 2012 at 11:38 am Reply

      Agree agree agree. Glad it was caught on tape but I really wish it would’ve been caught by someone else so poor Dad could focus on driving and freaking out (which is enough stuff to deal with without trying to catch it on film too, poor guy).
      Seriously love how chill Mom was, though. Just gotta make a quick phone call, y’know.
      And up until the baby realized it was cold in there, even he/she was like, “Oh, cool, hey Mom. What up? Totally getting my first car ride without a carseat. Look at me, breakin’ the law from day one.”
      XD
      Awesome birth, glad they shared it. But please, if you’re the driver, don’t film and drive! <3

  • Ashley

    January 23, 2012 at 6:43 am Reply

    Ha ha ha – how wonderful!!! I love that Dad remembered to turn the hazard lights on too during the whole thing. WTG mom – thanks for sharing!!

  • Cindy

    January 23, 2012 at 7:22 am Reply

    You can tell this woman was working with a midwife. She wasn’t paniced or scared. She didn’t call 911, she called her midwife and very calmly announced she’d given birth. What if women everywhere understood that birth is normal? That you should seek experienced help but not treat a breathing, pink baby as an emergency.

  • Devra

    January 23, 2012 at 8:47 am Reply

    Awesome!
    My only question is: video taping while driving? And they thought texting was dangerous! LOL, I really don’t care about all that, I just thought it was funny that the dad kept driving and was taking video at the same time. You’d think he would have pulled over once the baby crowned or birth was inevitable in order to assist or at least not be in a moving vehicle while she was actually birthing. So funny to me how some people react in “emergency” situtations. All in all, they did great!!!

  • Emma

    January 23, 2012 at 10:29 am Reply

    just beautiful!! And well done to the Dad for capturing it, I’m guessing he was just holding the video camera/phone in the direction of the Mum, and concentrating on driving!!

  • Vickie Black

    January 23, 2012 at 11:23 am Reply

    She stayed calm and held her sweet baby while on her way to the hospital. Next time maybe she will go to a birthing center or stay home with a midwife. It is safe, calm and you can choose who to have around you. Loving video of a miracle!

  • Ceci Davalos

    January 23, 2012 at 11:34 am Reply

    She just made me get over my fear of trying to be able to drive in a hurry to the nearest hospital which is 30 mins away. She is my hero! On another note don’t think I’d wouldn’t want my husband trying to drive and record at the same time. He freaks me out already with his road range O_o

  • Jane

    January 23, 2012 at 4:17 pm Reply

    i laughed and cried at the same time too. wow. that’s so amazing that the dad actually filmed some of it. i’m just speechless.

  • amazed

    January 24, 2012 at 5:25 pm Reply

    according to my friend (her midwife) the baby was born in one push, they never sped, and the arrived safely at the birth center not long after with a very healthy baby

    what an awesome birth! strong calm mama!

  • Paige

    January 25, 2012 at 3:04 pm Reply

    You are an AMAZING WOMAN! You stayed super calm and took control. I couldnt imagne myself doing that. I have 3 kids of my own. Cograts to you and your amazing family! Thanks for sharing your video:)

  • Katie

    January 22, 2013 at 12:28 pm Reply

    OMG. I cried, I laughed, this is amazing. Love the dad panicking a little bit in the driver’s seat while the mom is completely calm. lol

    This woman is my hero. 🙂

  • Claire in CA, USA

    January 22, 2013 at 1:26 pm Reply

    I don’t know what’s better: That daddy’s reaction, how calm mama is, or that hearty cry from the baby. I am sitting here crying my face off; natural childbirth is so beautiful, even in the front seat of a Ford Focus. Congratulations to you!

  • Loraine

    May 14, 2013 at 8:17 pm Reply

    LOVE daddy’s reaction and comments lol. She is SO calm and collected, I would have been FREAKING out haha. This totally made my day! 🙂

  • katherine

    December 27, 2013 at 6:46 pm Reply

    beautiful strong momma! scares me that dad did not pull over right away, unless there was an imediate health risk that would require to continue driving. that baby is in momma’s arms in a moving car. very dangerous… if she was pushing they should have just pulled over and called for help

  • Kessler

    May 17, 2014 at 10:41 am Reply

    Katherine, I did this last year (March 2013) in our car while my husband drove. There was no time to pull over- sometimes there just isn’t and you have to do what you have to do. My water broke and she came on the next push. We were on a bridge and there was nowhere to pull over anyway. Was it ideal? No, but we didn’t have many choices. Once she was out, we did call the hospital and they even said to keep driving. It would have taken paramedics longer to get there (we only had 10 minutes or so to go) and we didn’t have that kind of time since our daughter was already out and needed to get to the hospital. In these situations we rely on our instincts, and more often than not, birth is safe and our instincts guide us.

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