by Dad Becomes A Makeshift Midwife When His Wife’s Waters ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ While She Was On The Toilet
We’ve all heard stories of people who have gone into ʟᴀʙᴏʀ and delivered their baby within a very short period of time. Or maybe you’ve heard stories of women who’ve given birth in the car, on the way to the hospital. Like this woman , she give birth on the landing.
Anjola’s wife, Temwa Love, 26, had been for a walk in the evening to encourage labour, as Zion was already four days late.
Afterwards, Temwa headed home and practised some ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴇᴄʜɴɪǫᴜᴇs while timing the ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs, which were still more than 10 minutes apart when she decided to jump in the shower to alleviate the ᴘᴀɪɴ. Just after she got out, Temwa’s waters ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ while she was on the toilet.
Despite being four days late, Temwa didn’t realise she was ready to give birth as she was waiting to experience the same sʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍs she did with her first child, Zoe.
While waiting for paramedics to arrive, accounts manager Anjola – with the 999 operator on speakerphone – helped to deliver his wife’s baby safely.
Temwa recalled: ‘Initially, I tried crossing my legs in a bid to stop the baby from coming while we waited for the ᴘᴀʀᴀᴍᴇᴅɪᴄs. But Anjola advised me not to as he got towels and blankets. He was so confident and reassuring.
Within 13 minutes, baby Zion was born, weighing 6lb 12 oz. As the birth was ᴅᴇᴇᴍᴇᴅ sᴀfᴇ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ, the ᴀᴍʙᴜʟᴀɴᴄᴇ arrived an hour later at approximately 10.30pm. Following the birth, the couple decided to vlog the aftermath for their YouTube channel, Temwa and Anjola.
‘A lot of people have fear around birth,’ Temwa said. ‘So we wanted to show others that it isn’t as bad as it sounds. It was the weirdest experience of our lives but looking back, we did really well,’ she says.
I am so proud of Anjola, he was so supportive and brave.’
She says the experience has brought the couple closer together and taught her to trust her body – and always be prepared for the unexpected.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, there are about 35,000 home births in the United States every year, and 8,750 of these happen at home unexpectedly. That’s less than 1 percent of births in the United States.
It’s highly unlikely that you’ll find yourself unexpectedly giving birth at home or in the backseat of a taxi – particularly if it’s your first baby – but it can happen. If you’ve had no labor sʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍs ᴏʀ ᴏɴʟʏ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴍɪᴛᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ᴀɴᴅ sᴜᴅᴅᴇɴʟʏ Fᴇᴇʟ ᴀɴ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴡʜᴇʟᴍɪɴɢ ᴜʀɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴜsʜ , it may signal that your baby is about to arrive.
