A Miami woman was forced to deliver her own baby at home in Little Haiti on Sunday when winds and conditions brought on by Hurricane Irma made it impossible for emergency workers to reach her.
The harrowing situation started around 3:23 a.m. when the woman called dispatchers and let them know that she was in labor; she called again around 5:35 a.m. and was ready to deliver.
Miami Assistant Fire Chief Eloy Garcia later told the Miami Herald that paramedics, who couldn’t get to the unnamed woman, talked her through the delivery via phone.
.@CityofMiamiFire couldn't respond to woman in labor in Little Haiti. @JacksonHealth docs talked her through birth at home – it's a girl!
— City of Miami (@CityofMiami) September 10, 2017
In an effort to ensure as safe of a delivery as possible, a conference call was convened between paramedics, a dispatcher and a hospital doctor, who all helped guide the woman through the process, The Washington Post reported.
“We weren’t able to respond. So she delivered the placenta, also,” Garcia said. “Dispatch told her how to tie it off. She’s stable at home. We made contact with the assistant medical director here. Talked things through.”
The woman and her newborn baby were taken to Jackson Hospital later in the morning once conditions improved.
This morning @CityofMiamiFire crew was able to transport baby and mom to Jackson Hospital.
— City of Miami (@CityofMiami) September 10, 2017
The City of Miami also tweeted about the incident, noting, “It’s a girl!” Prayers for an easy recovery following a harrowing ordeal.