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Pregnancy

These moms delivered babies in the midst of Hurricane Irma

These moms delivered babies in the midst of Hurricane Irma

by

Michelle Stein

posted in Pregnancy

On the heels of Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane/tropical storm Irma has blasted the state of Florida with high winds and flooding. And with it, this massive storm has already brought a few unique birth stories.

You know, as if delivering a baby under normal circumstances wasn’t stressful enough.

One expecting mama went into labor in the midst of the evacuation chaos in Florida, serving as a reminder that childbirth waits for no one and nothing — not even for a hurricane to pass. This mother gave birth to a baby girl just hours before the storm hit in Miami. After being discharged, mom and babe ended up getting special ride to a hotel room from the Miami-Dade County Police. In honor of the timing of her arrival, the newborn was given a special — and incredibly fitting — middle name. (Spoiler alert: No, it wasn’t Irma.)

“Welcome to the world baby Nayiri Storm,” the Miami-Dade Police Department Tweeted, along with a photo. “Glad our officers were able to assist the family safely from hospital to hotel. #PerfectName.”

In other hurricane birth story news, a Miami woman ended up delivering her own baby at home on Sunday, when weather conditions prevented emergency crews from getting to her. A doctor, a dispatcher and paramedics were able to walk her through the actual birth, delivering the placenta and cutting the umbilical cord via a conference call. Mom and baby were both taken to a hospital Sunday morning, when it was safe for emergency crews to go out.

Here’s yet another unintended home delivery, courtesy of Hurricane Irma: A Coral Springs woman ended up giving birth on her bathroom floor. Emergency crews had to take an armored vehicle in order to respond to the call for help, however storm damage made it difficult to get to the residence in time. “When we got there, she was pretty much all the way out … and the mother of the person in labor was actually pretty much delivering the baby – her own granddaughter – in the bathroom on the floor,” Assistant Chief John Whalen with the Coral Springs Fire Department told CNN. The new mama and her baby girl, April, are both doing well.

Childbirth is such an intense experience without the added stress extreme weather brings to the equation. I can’t imagine how these moms must have felt at the time, but I’m so glad everyone in these stories came out on the other side unscathed. Their hurricane birth stories will be hard ones to top, that’s for sure!

Click here to read birth stories touched by Hurricane Harvey.

What do you think of these birth stories? Did you have an unplanned home birth?

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