Pregnant woman was about to give birth on a front lawn—a stranger nearby knew exactly how to help her
Unexpected events can often lead to life-changing moments. In some cases, quick thinking and the right training make all the difference in turning a stressful situation into a safe one. This was certainly the case for one Indiana mother. She delivered her baby on her parents’ front lawn with the help of an off-duty firefighter, as reported by TODAY.
Jasmine Mix, 36 weeks pregnant with her second child, was spending the day at her parents' house with her 22-month-old daughter, Caroline, while her husband was at work. Earlier that night, she had begun to experience contractions, but they weren't consistent. When she arrived at her parents' home, the contractions began to intensify. “I think my water had broken partially,” Mix recalled. “My contractions started very quickly. It went from like being nothing to every minute, 30 seconds." Although her mother urged her to call an ambulance, Mix thought she could manage the pain and decided to wait for her husband to return. He had called earlier to say he was on his way home from work, and she hoped she could hold on until then.
As her pain escalated, Mix tried to alleviate the discomfort by taking a bath, but that only seemed to make things worse. “My mom heard me in agony, and she's like, 'I really feel like we need to call an ambulance,'" Mix said, but she was still hesitant. Her husband soon returned to check on her, but rather than heading straight to the hospital, he decided to grab their hospital bag from their home just a few blocks away. When he got back, things had already progressed significantly. “I looked at him, and I was like, 'I have the urge to push,’” Mix recalled. Her husband, realizing the urgency of the situation, quickly helped her outside.
At this point, Mix’s father ran outside to get help from their neighbor, Nathan Huyck, a firefighter and paramedic. Huyck was in his backyard when he heard the call for help. “I went out there and there was a female in the front yard in active childbirth,” Huyck said. He immediately recognized the gravity of the situation. With his training and experience as a firefighter and paramedic, Huyck knew exactly what needed to be done. The entire family, including Mix's mother and sisters, gathered around as Huyck took charge of the delivery.
Thanks to Huyck’s expertise, the delivery went smoothly. Mix’s daughter, Adaline Jaymes Mix, was born healthy at 6 pounds, 6 ounces, and 19.5 inches. The entire process, from the first signs of labor to the baby’s birth, happened in less than an hour. “It went from her breaking my water at like five o’clock in the evening to her being born at 5:36 p.m.,” Mix said. “It progressed super fast, so there was no time to even make it to the ambulance.” After the birth, Huyck stimulated the baby to ensure she started breathing and crying before paramedics arrived. The paramedics then transported both Mix and Adaline to the hospital for further care. Reflecting on the experience, Mix described it as a whirlwind of emotions. “It was just one of those in-the-moment situations where you had to act accordingly,” she said. Despite the chaos and the initial fear, she found comfort in the outcome. “It turned out to be a beautiful blessing,” she added.
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