A mother giving birth in a hospital is expected to have some help in the form of a midwife, nurses, a doctor, or perhaps her husband. This woman did it with a team of one: herself.
In Less Than 60 Seconds
Jessica Stubbins was sent home from the Scunthorpe General Hospital after experiencing minor contractions on July 31. The staff reassured her that the baby was not coming yet. Only when she came home to continue her normal routine, she went into labor. Her husband Tom quickly drove her back to the hospital. Jessica told him to drop her off at the door while he parked the car.
“As I got out,” she recalls, “I just knew she was on her way.”
As the footage shows, Jessica walked through the hospital doors and stopped. The baby wouldn’t wait. Less than a minute later, Lucy was born.
“She was coming and there was no stopping it,” she says. “There was no time to sit down.”
When poor Tom came, Jessica was clutching the newborn in her arms. “It’s a girl! It’s a girl! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
“She felt guilty that I missed it all,” says Tom. “I was only a hundred feet away and I still missed it.”
Finally Some Help
Two nurses came to the rescue. Gemma Hoeft was on a meal break and was going to her car when she heard a scream. At first, she assumed a labor room window was open and “someone was really loud”, but then she heard it a second time with footsteps. She turned around and saw Tom running to Jessica who was bent over. By the time she was by her side, Jessica was already holding the baby.
“It was surreal,” Hoeft says, “like something out of a film.”
She took off her hoodie to wrap up the newborn and told Tom to get a chair for the mother. At that time, midwife Sally Parkin with her colleague hurried over.
Jessica was still apologizing to Tom that the baby arrived without him being there.
“It’s alright, it doesn’t matter,” he replied.
All’s Well
Lucy was born healthy and the Stubbin’s first daughter, Penny, is excited to have a little sister.
“It was such a lovely experience,” says Parkin. “She did so well.”
After this incredible feat, I hope they got a refund from the parking ticket.