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March 26th 2020, we welcomed Riley June into our family. She was born in the front seat of our van.
Several months prior , I had searched for a doctor in Texas that would consider a VBAC. My 5th baby was breech and born via C-section. This was my 6th baby and I absolutely did not want or see the need for another C-section but the doctor I first signed on with would not preform a VBAC.
Around 7 months pregnant, I finally found a doctor 40 minuets away. He told me I was the perfect candidate for a VBAC, however as time went on there were more restrictions that came up such as, the baby had to be born by 39 weeks, I could only labor for 6 hours, and if I wasn’t progressing as quickly as the doctor wanted me to, he could call for a C-section at anytime.
I was scheduled for a c -section a week before my due date and I decided to skip it, hoping that my body would go into labor on my own. At 40 weeks and 2 days I began to have contractions. They started around 5 pm and not wanting to go to the hospital too soon (because of only being allowed to labor for 6 hours) I waited for too long before I said it was time to go. At this point my contractions were 2-3 minuets apart. Maybe it was adrenaline or fear, but I didn’t head to the hospital until 8:30, still unconvinced this was really it.
We had been driving for 15 minutes when my water broke in a massive gush. I yelled for my husband to pull over and we barely made it into a parking lot before I could get my pants down and when I did, my daughter’s head was out! I had one more contraction and luckily my husband made it to my side of the car just in time to catch the rest of her body.
Between my water breaking and my baby being born was 2 contractions and about 6 minuets total. We called 911 and I was taken with baby to a near by hospital, in shock the whole way. This was a successful VBAC, in a car, unassisted, natural birth that I am so grateful didn’t end up with any major issues!
P.S. Always keep extra towels and blankets in your car!
