They say moms can do it all. Apparently, for some, that includes delivering their own babies! That’s exactly what a Kentucky mom named Heather Skaats did on May 15. She gave birth on the roadside as her five other kids waited in the car.“I was having light contractions before we left, so I figured I had time to run an errand,” Heather told TODAY Parents.
The 34-year-old mom noted that her due date was three weeks away and that she labored for several hours with her previous children. “I thought I wouldn’t have a baby in my arms until eight or ten hours later,” Heather said. However, her contractions suddenly intensified and started occurring very close together, indicating that she was already in labor.
Heather accelerated her driving, hoping for a repeat of her previous home water birth. She didn’t have enough time, as it turned out. “I pulled over, convinced the kids that everything was fine, then grabbed my phone and exited the van,” she recalled. When Heather’s water broke, she was squatting on the ground near a grassy area.
“I put my hand down there, and his head came out with his body,” she explained. “I didn’t have to push at all. It happened so quickly. “I was on the phone with my husband, Nick, and 20 seconds later, he’s here!” Heather had caught her seven-pound newborn. The baby boy immediately began wailing and opened his eyes to gaze at his mother. “Yeah, buddy, that was fun, huh?” she recalled. She hastily pulled a blanket around him.
Heather carefully returned to the car with the newborn still attached to her placenta, as her children, Kaelynn, 13, Aneleigh, 11, Austin, 6, Luke, 3, and Alyssa, 2, awaited to see their new brother. Heather and her husband are also the parents of Leilah, who died of cancer at the age of four in 2016.
“I wrapped him in a blanket and drove with him on my chest,” she explained. “I believe the youngsters were taken aback. They were fairly quiet.” Heather delivered her placenta in the shower with the assistance of her eldest daughter, Kaelynn, once they arrived home. Her midwives arrived around 10 minutes later and assisted the in picking the grass off her baby’s skin.
Heather’s ability to remain cool during the incident is impressive, but she attributes it to experience. “I suppose having previous home deliveries helped me to trust my body,” she explained. “Knowing the procedure was quite beneficial.” Heather and her husband are still brainstorming names for their next family member.
They’re considering Porter or Wolf—the names of the streets near where he was born.Once they got home, Heather delivered her placenta in the shower with the help of her eldest, Kaelynn. 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 thinking of names for the newest addition to their family. They’re considering Porter or Wolf—the names of the streets near where he was born. Heather shared the happy news on her Facebook.
“I’m still in s=hock 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 real champ. Congratulations on your new bundle of joy, Skaats family!