This could be the birth story of the year…
By MIA FREEDMAN
Every woman has a birth story – even if she’s never had a baby. Every woman can tell you about a birth that was dramatic, comical, tragic or in some way unusual. And even if the birth wasn’t yours, you’ll still have that story in your arsenal of anecdotes because women like to share and vent and debrief. Birth stories tend to be long and generally end the same way; with a health baby (please god).
I’ve given birth 3 times and when it’s happening, it really does feel like the most incredibly intense, life-changing, extraordinary event. It feels like there should be a public holiday, a commemorative stamp and tickertape parade, all thrown in your honour.
Oh and there is no short answer to the question: “how was your birth?”. Once a woman gets going, you should get comfortable. Because her version of ‘dramatic’ might not seem so dramatic when there’s not a human trying to get out of YOUR body.
But this story actually is pretty amazing. The Australian woman Sally Bertouch who gave birth in New York during Hurricane Sandy has set the bar pretty high for dramatic birth stories.
It goes something like this:
When she went into labour at 2am on Monday, she and her husband James had already moved into a hotel 10 blocks from the hospital because their Tribeca loft was too far away.
After 12 hours (count them, 12), of labour at the hotel, the couple decided to go to the hospital. “At that point, there was horizontal rain,” said Sally’s husband James. “If we left it another hour, the East River would have been flooded and we would have needed a boat.”
So they got to the hospital and breathed a sigh of relief, right? Wrong.
Sally Bertouch and baby Sophie
After six more hours labouring at the hospital, the lights started flickering before the building plunged into complete darkness.
The storm had flooded the hospital’s basement and its generator had failed.Doctors put glow sticks around their necks and borrowed Mr Bertouch’s mobile phone, using its light to guide them while giving Sally an epidural.
“It was pretty scary, crazy, apocalyptic weather outside but I felt confident because the doctors and nurses were so confident and in control,” Mr Bertouch said.
“They did an amazing job.”
But more drama was still to come.
At 1am, midway through the labour, the storm became too dangerous and all 300 patients had to be evacuated.
Because Sally was paralysed from the waist down from the epidural and the lifts were not working, she had to be carried on a stretcher down eight flights of stairs in the pitch black by two firemen and her anaesthetist.
“It was just surreal,” Mr Bertouch said. “There were flashlights and mining helmets and hundreds of police and people from the fire department.”
A waiting ambulance rushed them uptown to Mt Sinai Hospital, where Sophie Deborah Bertouch was born at 10.27am local time.
“We’re all safe now and couldn’t be happier,” Mr Bertouch said.
I have so many favourite parts of that story it’s hard to pick just one but if I had to, it would be the glow-sticks. Next time I’m giving birth and I’m bitching about how long the epidural is taking to work, I’m going to think about being carried down eight flights of stairs by some firemen by the light of my glow-stick necklace.
Come on, we know you want to share….what was YOUR birth story – or if you don’t have one yet, have any of your friends had stories worth recounting?
Comments
56 Comments so far
I have a pretty amazing story to tell of the birth of my third child last year. That night I had gone to bed at about 11pm and fell asleep. About 15 minutes later I woke up wit a little belly cramp lasting about 30seconds, not too uncomfortable.i thought ‘I’ll just lie here for a sec and see if I get another one’. All of a sudden,I heard this ‘pop’!, it was my waters breaking. I woke my husband up got him to help me to the bathroom. I felt a few contractions,but no real pain, then all of a sudden I couldn’t stand up any more. Husband then helped me to the car, but I coudnt sit down and ended up kneeling on the front seat, facing backwards. As we left the drive I had a little twinge of a feeling that I wanted to push but I tried to ignore it. Then another contraction came and all of a sudden the head was out, here I was in the car, husbands driving and I’ve started to have the baby. I thought it best to not freak him out so I said nothing-I just wanted him to keep driving (the hospital is only 8 mins from our house).I waited for the next contraction, pushed her out, grabbed her and swiveled myself around onto the seat. “she’s here!” I cried, my husband almost had a heart attack. She was breathing fine, crying and gurgling There was no phone reception to call an ambulance, and we were literally 2 minutes from the hospital so we wrapped her in my husbands jumper and drove to the hospital. The whole thing took a little over 25 minutes, i would have to describe it as utter instinct, a thrilling, and natural event, but not one I’d recommend to everyone!
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I accidentally WALKED TO HOSPITAL IN LABOR…
In 1993 I was 25, living overseas, a first time mum (to be) and I wasn’t due for another three weeks. And I had a lesson booked that morning about how to have a peaceful birth.
With no mobile phones or call waiting, no family and no money on me, I awoke with slight back pain but sent my husband off to work. A couple of hours later I called the hospital and described my discomfort and slight bleed- and they suggested I come straight in for a check-up.
I tried to call my husband but he was out of the office. I tried to call a friend of my mother’s, who lived nearby. She was a chatterbox and on that particular morning she was chatting to someone for over an hour. So I gave up on that and eventually walked down the six flights of stairs and out the front door – unsure of what to do next (remember… no money and no mobile).
Not really feeling that I was in labor, I started to walk – albeit very slowly – in the direction of the shops, then past the shops and towards the hospital. I had waves of discomfort that seemed to come and go (ah yes, in hindsight obviously labor pains). I felt a little out of breath. I watched cabs go by and wondered if I could hail one with no money. I kept going, pausing at times, almost stopping people for help but feeling a little unsure and distracted. I walked past women who smiled at me sympathetically and contemplated telling them that I felt a bit strange.
But in a way, it was all too hard so I just kept putting one foot in front of the other (the way you do when you leave work feeling sick but somehow make it home, only to find you can hardly move from the bed to the bathroom once you are there). Eventually, over 2kms,1 hour and 2 suburbs later I arrived at the hospital. Funnily enough those last 100 metres or so where the hardest. Once in the comfort of the hospital it was quickly confirmed that I was indeed about to have a baby.
My lovely daughter was born that afternoon – three hours after I arrived!
Post script; My husband was called. He popped by and decided to go home and get my bag. Once there, he made a bowl of pasta, had a beer, had a nap and arrived back at the hospital just in time for the birth!
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Ok….. you asked, so get comfy…
I was 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant and although I was feeling well, I was ready for this baby to arrive.
I was woken up at 7am by a strange ‘twinge’ in my lower belly. It was the Queen’s birthday public holiday so my husband was home for the day, still sleeping soundly beside me. I tried to go back to sleep, but another pain made the decision for me and so I got up and got dressed.
I had downloaded an iPhone app to time my contractions so I hit the button and went about my morning. I told my husband that I thought I was having mild contractions, but reassured him that all was fine – I figured being my first baby, we would have a long day of labour ahead of us and there was no need to rush around.
I still had a few things to pack in my labour bag and my hospital suitcase, and I wanted my husband to watch the TENS instruction DVD so he could help me put it on. He started to watch it, but was so distracted that he was getting flustered and had to keep re-starting it (much to my growing irritation – I wanted that machine on ASAP!).
Just before 9.00am he went out to grab some breakfast and some coffees. I reassured him again that everything was fine and that I would see him soon.
A trip to the toilet resulted in my “show” becoming dislodged, another sign that I was on my way to giving birth.
I still had a couple of items to pack in my labour bag so I started getting things together. I also called the hospital’s delivery suite to let them know our situation so they could prepare for our eventual arrival.
At 9.01am I spoken to the midwife on duty. I explained that my contractions started two hours prior, were approximately 7-8 minutes apart and I could talk through them easily. She told me that they don’t really consider me to be in proper labour until they were 5 mins apart and regular. We discussed my plan to labour at home for as long as possible and my use of a TENS machine and fit ball. The midwife asked me to phone back if my waters broke or if I had any questions or concerns.
I had another urge to visit the bathroom. My contractions were becoming stronger and it seemed like I had three or so before I could get off the toilet. I was still using the contraction timer and the TENS and after leaving the bathroom I got the fit ball out and tried rocking on it, remembering to try to stay as active as possible and to use gravity to my advantage.
My husband arrived home at around 9.30am with coffees and bread to find me now leaning on the fit ball and struggling with the contractions. He finished packing my bags for me and tried to help me focus on the positive pain of childbirth. I suggested he get me some water in a water bottle and remind me to keep drinking – which he then did every bloody 15 seconds until I told him to stop it (poor love – he was only trying to be supportive and helpful).
At 9.47am I called the hospital again. My contractions were, according to the timer, now less than 5 mins apart (3 mins) and I could no long speak during them. I had two whilst on the phone to the midwife and I heard her say to a colleague “yeah, she sounds like she is in established labour”. I was slightly confused as the progression of the contractions seemed a lot faster than those expected for a first time labour.
Within 15 minutes of that phone call my contractions, much to my disbelief, seemed to get even stronger. By this stage, I had abandoned the fit ball and was kneeling in front of the couch, resting my head on the seat between each onslaught. It’s here that I went through what I believe was my “transition” stage of labour. As one contraction ended I almost started crying.
“This is bullshit” I thought, “I’m not made for this – I can’t handle this for another 10 hours!!!” I needed to get to hospital so I could get some pain relief. I thought that if I could get some gas, I could calm down and get a better handle on the contractions as they came. This was, of course, an internal monologue as I was now struggling to get single words out, let alone entire sentences.
“Ok” I panted to my husband, “we need to go now, but you have to call them”. He dutifully opened all the doors to the house and car so all I had to do was walk out.
Suddenly, while I was still kneeling on our lounge room floor, I was overcome with the violent urge to push. Internally, I was a little panicked. “This can’t be right – it’s too early to push, I don’t know how dilated I am, the baby might get stuck, I’ll exhaust myself or tear badly…”
DH grabbed my phone and called the hospital. It was 10.21am
I rose from the floor where I had been labouring and made it to the kitchen bench, only three measley metres away when another one hit. My body’s natural reaction was to squat down. I thought it was going to take me half an hour to get out of the house at that rate – and I wanted to get to the hospital as soon as possible.
When the contraction had ceased, I stood up with determination and walked all the way down through the house and out the front door. Steve was locking the screen door behind us when another contraction rolled in. By this stage I was screaming with each one. The poor neighbours (although they all later kindly denied hearing anything…).
I got to the gate and realised that my partner had opened the front passenger door for me. “I can’t sit, there is no way I can sit” I thought. However the ability to articulate this was outweighed by the need to get going as soon as possible, so I gingerly lowered myself into the car, half propping myself up so that I was almost leaning sideways, to take the pressure off my bottom.
We pulled out and we were on our way. Before we got to the end of the street, he suggested I put on my seatbelt. “NOW IS NOT THE TIME!!!” I wanted to scream, but knew I didn’t have the energy to argue. “Alright, alright, I heard you, I’ll get it on in a moment” was what I tetchily replied. Poor man – he was only thinking of my safety.
He drove fast and with focus. He knew he had one job to do: get us to the hospital as quickly and safely as possible. I’ve never been so glad he insisted on buying a V8 car! How he managed to concentrate with me screaming at full capacity within 30cm of him in that car I will never know. I noticed that I had started sweating with each contraction. The hospital (which was only 15 mins up the road) seemed so so far away.
We arrived and dramatically pulled up outside the automatic doors – no time to look for a park and my husband ran inside to fetch a wheelchair and the midwife. As I clambered out of the car I began screaming through another contraction, much to the concern of various people outside!
I was wheeled into the foyer and the waiting lift. My doctor had quite coincidentally arrived in the car park at the same time as we had and so he had made his way straight to the birth suites, just ahead of us
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They wheeled me into the birth suite and helped me stand up next to the bed. As they began removing my shoes another contraction hit me.They seemed to be coming one on top of the other.
“After this contraction, help us get her onto the bed” the midwife instructed my husband.
They got my tracksuit pants off and my underpants down to my ankles.
“Ah, no we won’t” I heard from somewhere behind me, “there’s the baby’s head!”
“Don’t push – don’t push!!” The obstetrician and midwives all said at once.
The bed, which I still hadn’t made it to, was raised so I could lean over it. Steve ran around the other side and he and the midwife showed me how to pant through the contraction without pushing.
Before I knew it, another contraction began and I was given the all clear to push.
As soon as they gave me that permission, I felt my body ‘open up’ to allow the baby through. It was a very distinct and surreal sensation. There I was, standing, with the doctor and midwife crouching down behind me as my baby eased from my body.
It was 10.41am.
My beautiful baby girl arrived like a bat of hell – no time for me to get undressed, let alone have the pain relief I was hoping for after an “active” labour of around 80 mins. Pretty lucky for a first time labour – until my son was born last year…. but that’s another story
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Wow! Just .. WOW!
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I had my mum and my partner with me when my bubba was born.Mum who was most excited and anxious for this to happen,was holding my neck in a vice like grip telling me to BREATH, i had to calm her down and tell her that i would be able to if she could just let go of my neck…. My dear friend was on her fourth when the baby decided that it was not going to wait so she ended up on all fours spraddled on her front porch[which overlooks a highway] naked waiting for the ambos to arrive,they got there in time to salvage some of her dignity.
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That is, hands down, the most incredible birth story I’ve ever heard. The smile in that picture says a million words.
My first labour was long and hard. So when I was in there giving birth to my second, I knew to ask for the epidural early if I wanted to avoid the real pain at the end. So I did. And I had a 2 hour nap. And I woke up fully dilated. Was told upon waking that it was time to push and felt far too relaxed and told them so. Juliet entered the world and immediately after I said to my obstetrician, “Did you just pull a baby out of me?!”
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My second, born 4months ago was almost delivered by my husband. Upon arriving at the maternity ward in the last stages of labour, I was greeted by the cleaner who informed me the ward was unstaffed. After a frantic 10 minutes trying to locate someone to deliver the baby (thankfully the emergency doctor arrived) our daughter was born. A stressful time and disappointing considering I had been at the hospital two hours earlier for a check and had not been informed the ward would be unstaffed. The result of funding cuts and over worked staff I guess. Thankfully our girl arrived safely.
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I was so deliriously happy after finally pushing our baby out into the world, that I had the biggest silly smile on my face. I was in a good humour too, quipping to the ob when she told me she was just putting her finger in my bottom to check my tear ‘but we haven’t really been introduced yet!’ I thought that was hilarious!
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“Next time I’m giving birth and I’m bitching about how long the epidural is taking to work, I’m going to think about being carried down eight flights of stairs by some firemen by the light of my glow-stick necklace.”
Mia, there will be a next time?!
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Read this online the other morning. What a great story for the 21st!
Out of my 3 deliveries I’ll just share the funnies. With my first, I was only comfy labouring on all fours. I saw my midwife stroll around me with a dolphin torch. I asked wtf she was doing with that – she said she had to see and I wasn’t making it easy. I now know how a lighthouse feels.
My 3rd babe was my biggest. I was only comfy over the loo. At one stage I braced against the bathtub and pushed back on the loo and heard an almighty crunch. The midwife asks ‘Did you just break my toilet?’ Without skipping a beat I told her I was an interior designer and could fix it at trade. They were still laughing about that at the midwives station hours later
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My first labour was so bloody slow it was unbelievable. Contractions were about half an hour apart and really felt like bad constipation so I was in denial that I was even in labour, even though I was a week overdue. Dumb huh?
I went to my husband’s soccer game, having contractions all the while. He was pretty happy and scored a hat trick, but when he asked if we could go to the pub with the team to celebrate I had to put my foot down and finally admit I was in labour. Mind you I should have gone – the baby didn’t come out for another 24 hours.
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I do love the stories where the dad delivers the baby because it’s all happening so suddenly.
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My son, second child, was born in the pool at the birthing centre at KGV in Sydney. We had to drop my daughter off at friends on the way. First of all our car was parked in by a taxi who wouldn’t move until his passengers (our unfriendly neighbours) came. Husband had to threaten to ram his car. Then at the top of our narrow street, a couple were doing a u-turn, the lady hops out of the car and asks us for directions! Husband says move the #%# car we’re having a baby! Drop off our daughter at friends and husband chats for five mins until my friend realised I’m in the car, having contractions, and bustled him out. Got to the hospital and I had to fill out the forms while having massive contractions. Luckily we’d called ahead and the pool was being filled. As I got into it my husband asked ‘are you comfortable?’ The midwife looked at him and said ‘of course she’s not comfortable, she’s HAVING A BABY!’ He said afterwards he’d never felt so stupid! My son was born within minutes, and came out still in his amniotic sac, and burst through it into the water – a very surreal birth experience.
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I haven’t had any children (one day I hope!) but I love love LOVE hearing these beautiful birth stories. Can’t wait to be a midwife and help catch these gorgeous bubs!!
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Our student midwife (who’d been with me as part of a teaching program I volunteered for) was allowed to deliver the head of my bub by the midwife in charge.
She was very chuffed. I hope you have the same luck!
And out came bubba wrapped around and around in her umbilical cord which she had chosen to accessorise with.
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I love birth stories. I can’t get enough of them.
Mine was not that exciting – 24 hours of mild contractions, followed by 6 hours of active labour and my baby was out in three pushes. But my dad’s birth story was pretty dramatic and is a family favourite.
He was born on a cold wet August day in 1955 in the back of a bogged car with my grandma all alone while my grandpa was walking to borrow a tractor to pull the car out. He was eight weeks premature and incredibly lucky to survive. My cousin was also born eight weeks early in the front seat on the way to hospital.
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My first came while we were on holidays . My husband thought I was joking when I called him back from his fishing trip – they were about to put the boat in the water. I was 34 weeks so it was somewhat unexpected! It was about 5 days before she was actually born, ( we hadn’t managed to get home though) and I was assured about 10 mins before she appeared that I would be in labour “for hours” because it was my first…it was extraordinary. I have now had 2 babies and both times I loved it, I felt like I ruled the world afterwards, if I could convince my husband I would do it again just for the delivery!
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That feeling of utter relief when the baby come out is MAGIC. Total euphoric thankfulness!
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I went from 5cm dilated to baby in my arms in 10 minutes! Not a fun 10 minutes, but at least it was quick!! My poor little girl looked like she’d been in fight though with puffy bloodshot eyes and bruising from coming out so fast! No tearing for me, thank God for clever midwives and obstetricians!!
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I know story of woman gave birth all alone in the middle of hurricane storm in Bangladesh ..hanging for her dear life in the roof of submerged house ..
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I love this story, I love the glow sticks, I love that she had an epidural by iPhone light, I am slightly horrified for her that she was labouring whilst being carried down the stairs by firemen (although after some 18hours of labour I am sure she didn’t care who was there). My birth was very undramatic, but my husband did start singing “push it” by Salt n Pepa when I was told to push and it’s only through utter exhaustion that i didn’t push his head through a damn wall…
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Firstly, glow sticks – wow!
I gave birth 5 weeks ago today to a little boy who weighed 5.6kg (12″8). Vaginally. No epidural. He had to be resuscitated and spent 6 days in the special care nursery. He’s doing great now.
Firstborn seemed big at 4.9kg (10″ 13 and a half). I haemorraghed twice and had to be transfused.
Both experiencex were traumatic, but at the same time, the best times in my life were when these little babies joined us. The range of emotions is amazing.
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oh my goodness! all I can say is, GO YOU!
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You must have an amazing pelvis is all I can say. Are you a pacific islander? We do see some huge babies from women that come from Tonga or Samoa.
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Bows in reverence. Nice work, mama!
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After the warnings for Sandy came in and I was 40 weeks pregnant, I would have booked my Caesar straight away!
What an amazing story!
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I’ve had 4 quick and easy births. My favorite story is a friends who went into full labour at home very quickly with her first and started pushing almost immediately. Her husband rang an ambulance and they talked him through the birth however, when the baby emerged still within the amniotic sac the operator said “oh, sorry but I can’t help you with that”…He responded “are you kidding, I don’t know what to do” and she said “neither do I”! He put the phone down and basically tore the sac open to get his precious baby girl out – all ok in the end and a very very proud “hands on dad”!!!
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Wow – he was in control! I had similar kind of birth with my second, but no sac fortunately. I also got carried down the stairs (on a kitchen chair) by the paramedics when they finally came (minutes after our son was born) and popped down to wait in the doorway in my dressing gown with the placenta still inside, and umbilical cord wrapped around my arm.
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My childbirth educator told me that it’s considered very good luck to be born “in the calf”.
What an amazing dad!
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Its called the caul. The “old wives” version is that the child will have “second sight”.
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Years ago, sailors would buy the ‘caul’ and take it out to sea with them. It was considered good luck.
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My son was born this way too. The midwife told us that they used to say that someone born like that would never drown!
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What an amazing sight! It is goodluck for a baby to be born in ‘the caul’ and they are also said to be destined for greatness!
With my first my waters broke then contractions started. With my second contractions came first, I was hoping for a caul birth but with the second last push before his head came out I heard and felt a pop of the waters breaking.
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I’m not going to bore everyone with my 3 birth tales but when i was having my first, things were getting very intense and my husband decided to get a bit woozy. I remember sitting up and yelling ,’Don’t you dare faint! This is MY moment! MINE!’
He didn’t faint.
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Your story reminded me of my husband: He got a bit bored during the birth of our third and joined the midwife who was celebrating her 30th birthday with the other nurses out at the nurses station. I was not impressed and was on that buzzer with every contraction. His excuse – he was starving!
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Listening and telling birth stories is my most Favourite thing to do. It’s my daughters birthday this weekend – she will be 7 and tomorrow night when I tuck her in I’ll be telling her the story of how I birthed her. She loves the story – I love telling it to her. Thanks for sharing this story
mia
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I found I was only comfortable lying on my back during labour. But for some reason, I could not stop moving my legs during the contractions so I looked like I was trying to ride a bike the whole time, which my husband and midwife found very amusing to watch.
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Hehe I’m a midwife and you just reminded me of a chick I looked after that did that exact same thing!! So don’t worry you’re not the only one who likes to ride a bike during labour!
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I couldn’t lie on my back either bcz with every contraction i had crumps on my leg ,so i went to kneeling and gave birth like that …and my husband later joked baby came out the way he went in lol…
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That is gold. Had me laughing out loud.
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My DD came in a screaming hurry and had to be delivered by emergency c-section, all very dramatic with alarms sounding and running doctors pushing me down the corridor just like in ER.
My one memory about the whole thing? My doctor, standing with her scalpel raised, ready to cut the second I was out of it. Oh and the catheter insertion.
But all good. Beautiful little baby came through just fine. And a great story to tell at her eighteenth.
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I have two (having given birth twice) but i’ll share my most recent one (4.5 weeks ago!).
I was 5 days overdue and at 8am sunday morning my waters broke so I called the hospital to tell them and was told to come in straight away (as this was my second pregnancy, things happen a lot quicker) I wanted a shower so jumped in and while in the shower my contractions started (and boy they started!).
So we set off to drop our son off to my in-laws (bout 15 mins away) but on the way I told my husband to go straight to the hospital (bout 15 mins away), lucky we did because when we got there I was nearly 10cms. So I basically got there and pushed my son out, two hours from when my waters broke to when I pushed him out!!
Geez it was intense, but so happy he’s here!
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OMG, I had that w the contractions in the shower with my second too! Unfo, never made it out of the apartment, just jumped into the bedroom and had the baby in a couple of pushes. The advice of going in the shower was from my own doctor, but he claims I may never have made it to the hospital, which is about a half hour drive away. So, I know where you’re coming from
Prior to the shower I’d had 5-6 contractions. The waters broke while I was pushing.
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Wow, that is an epic birth story! So glad everyone is well!
I gave birth to my second with viral meningitis, I don’t reccomend it!
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Love this story. And regarding your last sentence, Mia: Is this a cryptic way of telling us you are going to have another baby??
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I wondered that too!
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Ditto
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i think it is completely negligent of the hospital to put in an epidural when there is no power. How were they going to monitor the baby’s heart beat without power? How were they going to do an emergency cesarean if things turned sour? And then they had to carry her out?
I’m glad her and her baby survived the storm but the epidural increased the risk unnecessarily.
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I believe the hospital’s emergency generators failed to kick in.
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The back-up generators should have started working seconds after the power went out, so they had to know there was a problem with them before they did the epidural.
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Wouldn’t those things be a risk with or without the epidural? I seriously doubt they were aware that the power would not be fixed or that they would have to be forced to evacuate.
I think calling them negligent is really harsh, especially when you don’t know the facts because you weren’t there. To me it sounds like the staff at that hospital did an awesome job. They safely delivered a baby after a power failure and forced evacuation in the middle of a hurricane! They are champs.
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But, by GOD, did it take away the pain!!
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Monitor the babies heart rate with a nurse and a fetoscope. We must remember that we are able to do things without power. Blood pressure, heart rate, temperature all these and more can be done without machines!
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Im so glad it’s not just me who thought it was ridiculous to put in an epidural at that moment. I actually thought of the syringe driver that’s used to deliver a continuous infusion of anaesthetic. I guess you could do it manually, but I wouldn’t want to be put in that position.
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I’m an anaesthetist and I thought this was acceptable. I don’t think, nursee, you have any grounds to claim negligence. There are many ways to monitor baby and mother without power. All vital signs monitors have battery backups that last for hours. Portable dopplers run on batteries. A spinal anaesthetic (or even a general) can be administered safely without power should an emergency caesarean be required. Syringe drivers used by anaesthetists in theatre (which are portable) run on internal battery backup if required. If the mother was in severe pain and requesting an epidural, the anaesthetists would know whether they have enough battery-capable equipment to safely administer it and see the delivery through to the end. And that’s all without using clinical assessment and manual equipment.
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My favourite isn’t my own (mine were long, painful and full of complications) but a funny one I was told many years ago by a friend. Said friend had just had her baby (in the old Crown St hospital) and in the next bed was a woman who’d had her baby so quickly that it had been born in the lift going up to the labour ward. She was terribly embarrassed.
One of the midwives tried to console her, “Don’t worry, two years ago we had a woman give birth in the grounds. She didn’t even make it as far as the door.”
“Yes, I know,’ replied my friend’s room mate, “that was me!”
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