Geraldton mum tells how she gave birth in car

A Geraldton mother has revealed how she gave birth in her Toyota LandCruiser without pain relief, when her baby decided to arrive early.

Hypnobirthing practitioner Melissa Ayling had son Lockie on Mabel Street in Beresford about 4.50pm on May 6 last year.

Husband Sam was driving the Glenfield mother of two to Geraldton Hospital and were about 20 minutes from arriving there when the baby started to crown.

She said she had been in labour since about 9am that morning but was still comfortable enough to stay at home.

“I had contractions, well I call them surges, since about 9am that morning, but they were very on and off and I could still talk and function,” Ms Ayling said.

“It was only at about 4pm that the surges became more intense so my husband and I hopped in the car, and that’s when I started bearing down.

“My body started naturally expelling the baby, which is what many people would know as the pushing stage.

“Then my water released in the car and actually, a few days before someone posted on Facebook to put a garbage bag on the car seat with a towel on top.

“Well, we forgot the towel so I was just sitting on the garbage bag with my amniotic fluid sloshing around my knees.

“At the time I felt frustrated, but I knew I couldn’t let that worry me.

Ms Ayling said as the baby started to crown her husband turned right from North West Coastal Highway onto Mabel Street, parked on the kerb in front of a house and asked a nearby girl to call an ambulance.

Ms Ayling said that’s when she finally felt free to give birth.

“I felt I could finally surrender, instead of trying to hold my baby in,” she said.

“I could relax, listen to my body and actually enjoy it.

“Sam passed the baby through my legs, I lifted him up and received him and then the ambulance showed up at the end.”

Ms Ayling said she gave birth to a very happy baby.

“He’s very happy and determined, he’s very alert and has a high level of awareness.”

Coincidentally, Ms Ayling and her husband were also married six years ago in the month of May.