They say moms can do anything. Some mothers even have to deliver their own babies!
That’s exactly what a Kentucky mom named Heather Skaats did on May 15. While her five other children waited in the car, she gave birth on the roadside.
“I was having light contractions before we left, so I figured I had time to run an errand,” Heather told TODAY Parents.
The mom, who is 34 years old, noted that her due day was three weeks away and that it took her several hours to labor with her other children.
“I thought I wouldn’t have a baby in my arms until eight or ten hours later,” Heather said.
However, her contractions intensified suddenly and began occurring very close together, indicating she was in labor.
Heather started driving faster, hoping to have her home water birth as planned—just as she had in the past. But as it turned out, she didn’t have enough time.
“I pulled over — assured the kids that everything was OK — and then I grabbed my phone and got out of the van,” she recalled.
Heather was lying on her back in a squat position near a grassy area, when her water broke.
“I put my hand down there and his head started coming out with his body,” she said. “I didn’t even have to push. It was so quick. I was on the phone with my husband, Nick, and 20 seconds later, I was like, ‘He’s here!’”
Heather weighed seven pounds when she took her newborn to the hospital. The baby boy began crying immediately and opened his eyes to see his momma.
“I said, ‘Yeah, buddy that was fun, huh?’” she recalled. She quickly wrapped him up in a blanket.
Heather, with the newborn still attached by her placenta Heather slowly got back in the car, where her children, Kaelynn, 13, Aneleigh, 11, Austin, 6, Luke, 3, and Alyssa were eagerly waiting to meet their new sibling.
Heather and her husband are also the parents of Leilah. Leilah died from cancer in 2016 at the age 4 years.
“I wrapped him in a blanket and drove with him close to my chest,” she said. “I think the kids were in shock. They were pretty quiet.”
Heather and Kaelynn delivered Heather’s placenta when they returned home. About 10 minutes later, her midwives arrived, and they helped pick the grass off her baby’s skin.
It’s incredible how Heather managed to stay calm throughout the ordeal, but she credits it to experience.
“I think having home births in the past sort of taught me to trust my body,” she said. “Knowing the process really helped.”
Heather and her husband are still looking for names for their new addition to the family. They’re considering Porter or Wolf—the names of the streets near where he was born.
Heather shared the happy news via Facebook.
“I’m still in shock that I delivered my own baby on the side of the road. But he is perfect, all of the kids are happy to have him here, and today was a day I will never forget,” she wrote.
Heather also said that her husband wasn’t too happy about missing the big moment.
“But at least he was on the phone with me when I called to say ‘I’m going to have a baby on the side of the road,’” she wrote.
This mom is a true champ. Skaats family congratulations!
***Did you enjoy our feel-good and positive story? By simply subscribing to our site and sharing our stories, you can help us support each other.
