Eleanor Farrar gave birth to her baby Celine in the car outside her hospital
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NEED TO KNOW
- Eleanor Farrar gave birth to her daughter, Celine, in the car just outside the hospital
- Farrar’s labor progressed rapidly, with contractions starting only 15 minutes after she woke up at 41 weeks pregnant
- Her partner, Rasheed, cut the umbilical cord in the car with the help of two midwives at the hospital
When Eleanor Farrar went into labor, she thought she'd easily make the one-mile journey to the hospital. But as fate would have it, she'd wind up welcoming her baby daughter Celine outside the doors of the hospital.
"I woke up at 4:30 a.m. at 41 weeks [pregnant] with what felt like heavy period pain," Farrar told The Reading Chronicle. "Within 15 minutes, my contractions came every minute, and I knew I was about to give birth."
Farrar and her family live only a mile away from Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, England, so they decided to try to head over. They took their 2½-year-old daughter Diana along as well. Farrar even stopped to add her pearls and her nightgown that she wore while giving birth to her older daughter, she told the outlet.
"It was no easy task, as precipitous labors are particularly painful," she said. "Once I made it downstairs, my waters broke in the living room as she was coming down the birth canal, which was a lot of pressure release."
Farrar explained that she didn't initially call for an ambulance because she mentally felt "5 to 10 minutes behind what was happening physically."
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Credit: Getty Stock Images
But in the car, Farrar's daughter, Diana, began to worry about her.
"My daughter asked, 'Is Mummy okay?' To which her dad responded, 'Mummy is a bit sick, we're just going to get her some medicine,' " recalled Farrar. "Luckily, she was directly behind me, rear-facing, so she couldn't see anything."
"I had my face buried in the armrest to keep as calm as possible for my daughter," she added.
When she realized she was about to give birth, Farrar leaned down and touched the crown of her baby's head.
"Once I felt her head, I pushed her out on the next contraction whilst we were driving, and we pulled up in front of the hospital a minute later," said Farrar, who delivered her daughter Celine in the car.
Once they got to the hospital, Farrar's partner, Rasheed, ran in, and two midwives quickly arrived on the scene.
"They even let Rasheed cut the cord inside the car," added Farrar. "A special thank you to my midwife, Lyndsey, for supporting us throughout my pregnancy."
"Celine is just the most gorgeous girl, we're so lucky to have her."
Read the full article here
