To share my mental birth story with you!

It happened to someone I know.

Her husband was driving her to the hospital and it happened so fast that he had to pull over onto a wide grass verge and get her into the back seat so she had room to lie flat and spread her legs. He made sure that the open car door was on the side away from the traffic for privacy.

The paramedics arrived just as the baby appeared, and it was only then that he realised he was alongside the local racecourse and the jockeys were exercising the horses a few yards away from the car, and poor friend had been clearly visible to all of them!

She was absolutely fine, the paramedics took mother and baby to the hospital to be checked over, and they were all safely back home within a few hours.

Congratulations on your lovely baby!
But do talk to people about any intrusive thoughts. I had my second baby very very fast indeed (fortunately we were already in the hospital) and I went into shock after delivery because of the speed of the birth. I've often had thoughts of 'what if?' ever since (and she's 35!) for various reasons concerned with her birth, and have to remind myself that none of the feared things happened and everything turned out well for us. So it all went well, nothing bad happened to your or your daughter, focus on that rather than what might have been.

Similar happened to me - thankfully though I was in a hospital as I refused to leave. The midwife didn’t check the dilation, just observed me during a contraction and said I wasn’t in established labour yet, it would be ages, and the only relief she could give me was codeine, which she had to find a doctor for to prescribe. Well, the baby was born less than an hour later, one of the other staff members had to run to find the midwife who basically arrived when the head was emerging (and without the codeine, lol).

I don’t know why they can’t just check the dilation before concluding that the woman is not in labour.

Giving birth is completely mental, in all ways, however it ends up going down. I still look at my adult kids and think its bloody mental.

Congratulations OP! Sounds like your body knew what it needed to do! Xx

That's what I was wondering!

Similar happened with my second baby, OP, except the midwife did arrive in time but only just. She had to come from the next team over because the team in my area was out already at a homebirth. Kept ringing her and she kept saying she was on the way and I was just pushing because that's where I was at , DH and my mum were googling how to cut the cord and she walked in and started saying 'hello I'm Sarah...' and I just kind of mooed and she walked behind me (on hands and knees) and was like ah yes, here he comes... and out he came. Second midwife didn't arrive for another half hour or so. But he was well, and all was well, and it was my best birth of three by far! Total labour about 3.5 hours.
I will say it made me cocky about my third delivery being similarly quick and it wasn't... more like 6-8 hours which midwives said was not uncommon as its roomier in there by then so they keep bobbing in and out of engaged!

I found my first (hospital) birth traumatic and needed to talk about it, over and over, to help myself settle. That's been true of all my births but especially the one that scared me. So I would say keep talking, on here, to friends, tell everyone- it helps!

An ex-work colleague of my mother was known to have v quick labours (back in the 1980s). She lived ~40 minutes from the hospital and used to have to get in the car the moment she had the first ‘twinge’ - even so, 2 were born in the foyer of the hospital and the 3rd on the back seat of the car outside the front door.

Congratulations on your DD, make sure you talk to the midwife and talk through your worries (& make sure they add it to your notes re quick end stage) in case you have another littlie.

Maybe not. Maybe it's the same person.

Somebody up thread said that happened to them - can't be that common surely?

There is a woman who lives near me who was, for a time, "famous" locally because she gave birth at a bus stop on the school run route.
Needless to say, she had a LOT of trauma to unpack around that.

Uh oh, thread police are here 🙄

Congratulations, OP! It sounds like a really positive experience for you. I hope my next birth is like that!

Bathroom floor for me, second baby was so fast!

I know someone born in the back seat of a car stuck in traffic in a field at a rugby match. I also have a friend who had a baby at the top of the stairs on her way downstairs to go into hospital. My cousin had a baby in the bathroom after being sent home from hospital. The two I know personally said there was a real shock element to it that took a while to process

Congratulations!
I had very similar happen to me, although my labour was crazily quick, about an hour and a half in total, and went from 10 minute apart contractions for the first 50 minutes to everything then happening so fast that I unexpectedly gave birth at home. When I eventually made it to the hospital (by Ambulance) for us to be checked over, I was told off by the midwife for not going in earlier! They definitely would have told me not to go in if I'd called them when I was at 10 minute intervals.
It does take a little time for it to all sink in. I remember spending the first couple of days in shock and not really able to process what had happened. Be kind to yourself

that is a lovely story OP and glad it all went well.

Yay you. 👏🏿 slowly!

Stat positive Op, don’t let the adrenaline comedown shade a wonderful experience.

Aww that’s lovely! Congratulations! I had my baby at a bus stop outside the hospital after being told to stay home, it made the national papers, like you say when you know, you know! 🤣

Amazing story OP. I gave birth last week and it was all a whirlwind. I spent a while in maternity assessment and overheard someone give birth there with just a couple of pushes because there was no time to go to the labour suite. It was shortly after I was told I was in labour and admitted. It honestly felt like nothing was happening for ages then just as they were preparing to send me home, pain kicked in and I was 10cm already. It's amazing what the body can do and how quickly things evolve and change. I'm in awe that you delivered baby girl at home, you're amazing. Congratulations.

That's amazing OP! Sounds overwhelming and incredible. Glad your girl is here safe, you did brilliantly ❤️

Amazing story! Congratulations on your newborn

Wow, wonderful story ❤️ glad you are baby are well.

I know 3 women who essentially free birthed because the labours happened so fast - one at home, one on her SIL’s new carpet (!) and another in the car on the Fulham Road after being sent home from the hospital
for not being far enough on in labour. The female body is a wonderful thing! I bet it is scary to think about now, but your body knew just what to do

My grandfather delivered my mother at home in 1947 because there was a snowstorm and the doctor couldn't get there.