We all have our birth stories. Some are beautiful, others are traumatic. Some are etched with humour or sadness and many combine several different elements.
They are one of the beginning chapters in our parenting journeys and we at Baby AZ Today love sharing birth stories with our readers. Every single birth is amazing and special but these 9 stories caught our attention over the past year or two. Extra speedy labours, incredible support partners and much more – check out our top 9 incredible birth stories over the years.
1. Nine-Year-Old Son Supports His Mum Through Labour and Birth
This is one of our most popular birth stories to date and after you see the images and accompanying quotes, you’ll see why. Charlie, the little man in the picture above stroking his mum’s hair, is an absolute gem.
For Ohio mum, Hollie Lau, the proof is in these incredibly emotional birth photos of herself and her son, Charlie. He’s the young man in the blue and grey, holding his mum’s hand as she labours and births his little sister, Robin. Through every contraction, Charlie was there. He held her hair back, he rubbed her neck, he let her lean on him as she went through the painful motions of labour. He was even there to catch his little sister. This young man did it all and without a single complaint, ‘eew gross’ or eye roll.
2. Teen Goes to Hospital with Appendicitis. Comes Home with a Baby
When 19-year-old Nadia Rhoads began to experience severe cramps in her side and back, she assumed it was appendicitis. Turns out, it was a baby. Surprise!
The unsuspecting mum only discovered she was not only pregnant, but also in labour, after arriving at the hospital. Because she was taking birth control and still getting periods, she didn’t even think pregnancy was a possibility. She also remained at a size 14 throughout the pregnancy.
It wasn’t just Nadia who got the shock of her life. Nadia’s boyfriend, Brad O’Donnell rushed his girlfriend to the hospital hoping she didn’t need her appendix out. While he was waiting in his car, a nurse came out to inform him that he was about to become a dad and escort him to the delivery room. Nadia gave birth to her daughter, Delaney Mae O’Donnell after 14 hours of labour. She was born weighing a healthy 3kg.
Nadia admits that becoming a mum so unexpectedly threw her off at first and it took some time to adjust to life with a baby.
3. Mum, Who Didn’t Know She Was Pregnant, Gives Birth on a Plane
Baby on a plane! It actually happens more often than you may think. But a baby on a plane AND a mum who had no idea she was even pregnant? This has got to be a once-in-a-lifetime birth!
Lavinia Mounga was flying from Utah to Honolulu on 28 April with Delta Airlines when she went into labour, although she didn’t quite realise it. On the flight with Lavinia were four trained medical professionals, including Hawaii-based Doctor Dale Glenn as well as three neonatal intensive care nurses.
#4 Lotus Birth Story: Mum Names Her Placenta Alice and Keeps It For a Week
UK mum Michelle was always going for a natural birth with her son, Otter. She opted to give birth at home and keep the placenta attached until it naturally falls off. This is known as a lotus birth, which is incredible in itself (to each their own). But this is the first time we’ve heard of a family giving the placenta a name.
UK mum Michelle Louise and her partner, Edward decided that they would keep Alice the Placenta for as long as they could. This is known as a Lotus Birth – where the umbilical cord is not clamped or cut at birth and instead continues to pump nutrients to the baby outside of the womb, until the organ dies. Many parents are embracing a lotus birth but this is the first time we’ve heard of a family giving the placenta a name.
#5 At 22 Weeks Pregnant, Kayla Was Told Her “Babies Wil Be Born Today and They will die”
Like most expecting mums, Canadian mum Kayla Ibarra was not expecting to be told she was having twins. She was also not expecting to go into labour at just 21 weeks or to be told by her doctor that her twin daughters would die. Kayla wasn’t expecting to be denied pain medication, to be told she would leave the hospital without them. Or to be transferred at the last minute to a different hospital that would change everything.
But all of these things happened. This is her amazing story. This beautiful story of strength and survival focuses on Kayla Ibarra twin daughters, Ema and Luna, who were born at 22 weeks and given a 0% of survival.
#6 Sydney Mum Delivers Baby on Her Own While Driving to Hospital
47 minutes. That’s how long it took for Gemma Blake to go into labour and deliver her baby. Herself. In a car. Yep, that’s right! The Sydney mum welcomed her fourth baby at 4.20 am on Monday, 8 February 2021 in a very speedy delivery on the road. A massive congratulations to Gemma and what a great story for Alfie’s 21st! Gemma shared her birth announcement in our Pregnancy Mums Australia group and we were blown away by the story. This has got to be one of the quickest deliveries we’ve ever heard of! How about you?
#7 Mum Gives Birth in Hospital Hallway
Already mum to five gorgeous little girls, Jes is no stranger to labour. But she couldn’t have prepared herself for the dramatic arrival of her sixth child, her only boy, Maxwell Alexander. What is extra amazing about this story is that, while the mum didn’t manage to make it to the delivery ward, the photographer managed to make it to the hallway and captured the entire dramatic arrival on camera. And the images? Let’s just say they are sure to floor you!
#8 Mum Mistakes Kidney Stone Pain for Labour Pain, Then Gives Birth to Triplets
Just for a second, imagine the pain of kidney stones and then the relief of hearing it’s not that at all. Only to then be told you’re in labour with TRIPLETS. Um, excuse me?
Sounds unbelievable, right? It’s one family’s amazing story on how they very unexpectedly welcomed three beautiful babies into the world this month, and what a ripper of a story it is! We’ll end our round-up with this shocking story of a mum who thought she had kidney stones but, in fact was in labour with not one, but THREE babies. Could you even imagine??
#9 Granddad Helps Deliver Grandchild in Family Home Birth
Would you let your dad in the delivery room? This first-time mum not only opened the doors to her labour, but also relied on her dad (plus many other family members) for support. And the photos of this family home birth are something else! Just a bit of a warning though – these pics are quite graphic and show a home birth in all its crowning glory if you know what we mean.
We’ve shared a story of a son helping to deliver his baby sister but these stunning images of dad helping his daughter deliver her baby is another truly special.
These are only 9 of the dozens of incredible birth stories we have shared over the years. Check out our birth stories section for even more.