It seems everyone has something to say about the birth of their child—and everyone’s birth experience is completely unique. Some labor and delivery tales border on the bizarre to the sublime. “Headhunters” from Hundreds of Heads Books interviewed literally hundreds of couples, narrowing down the top stories published in “Birth: A Very Special Delivery” chapter found in the hilarious book: How to Survive Your Baby’s First Year: By Hundreds of Happy Moms and Dads Who Did and Some Things to Avoid, From a Few Who Barely Made It (© 2007, Hundreds of Heads Books, LLC, $11.01). The publisher kindly agreed to share some stories with DivineCaroline. I hope they inspire you to share your own story!
Timing Is Everything:
- “My wife’s contractions began around midnight. At two in the morning, we called our midwife for guidance and she told us to wait until the contractions were one to two minutes apart. We timed the contractions with a stopwatch all night, but it wasn’t consistent. They would get close together, then spread out again. At eight o’clock we called the doctor’s office, and the nurse said the same thing—contractions should be one to two minutes apart. By eleven a.m., my wife had been in labor for nearly 12 hours, so we decided to go to the hospital. I was loading the car when my wife waddled out. She tried to get in the car, and physically could not do it. She realized the baby was coming right then and there. She stood up, lowered her pants, and gave birth to our child in the driveway! One push and he came right out. I ran around the side of the car and the first words my child heard were ‘Holy shit!’ A neighbor called 911, and the paramedics and an ambulance arrived and mother and baby were whisked off to the hospital.” --Brian Ft. Myers, Florida
- “We were traveling across country from Vermont to California when I went into labor in Utah—two months early. And to make matters worse, we were driving along I-70 where there are signs lining the highway that say ‘no services,’ ‘no rest stops,’ and ‘no exits.’ I delivered him at a truck stop along the interstate. Under ‘place of birth,’ my son’s birth certificate says “Mile Marker 140, I-70E!” --C.C. San Francisco, California
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