Life
Mom in labor arrives to locked hospital so husband forced to use face mask to tie off umbilical cord
Unable to get inside the hospital Sarah could feel the baby coming as they stood in the hospital parking lot.
Rozzette Cabrera
05.29.20

The experiences that come with giving birth vary. Even women who have givem birth multiple times will agree.

Sarah Rose Patrick, a 36-year-old mom of two, had the most bizarre experience when she had to give birth to her third child.

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She started feeling contractions around May 8. When she went to see her doctor, she was told that she was just two centimeters dilated. At that point, she and her husband David were advised to go home.

If the contractions become unbearable, they were told to go back. Her doctor could induce her since her pregnancy was already full term.

However, the baby couldn’t wait.

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The next morning, Sarah woke David up. She got up two hours earlier because her contractions became more painful. She started pacing around the house.

At that point, the couple knew that it was the right time to call her doctor.

Unfortunately, they could only reach an operator.

Although the operator volunteered to deliver the message to her doctor, Sarah and David knew that there was no time left to wait. They decided to call for a little help.

David shared:

“We then call my parents to watch our two children Hadassah and Asher, who are presently asleep. They come to the house around 1:30 a.m. EST. We throw our preplanned and organized hospital bags into the car and race to the hospital.”

They arrived at a nearly empty parking lot.

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There, they parked their car and headed to the entrance of the Labor and Delivery building. To their horror, it was locked.

“We have no idea why and look for another entranceway. We walk along the sidewalk around the building and find the nearest door. Locked. We walk across the street to a third door. Locked.” -David said.

Sarah’s contractions became more painful.

At that point, she could hardly walk. The couple decided to go straight to the Emergency Room.

While on their way, Sarah’s water broke.

They had to stop walking because her water was pouring. She nearly fainted.

“She presses against me and softly prays, ‘Give me strength, God. Help me to focus.’ Then she nearly collapses.” -David recalled.

It was at that moment that David realized that things were on his hands.

He called 911. It took about four times before he was able to connect to a dispatcher.

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After telling them that an ambulance was on the way, the dispatcher guided the couple through the contractions. Then, the couple was given precise instructions on what to do next.

The dispatcher asked David to lower Sarah’s pants and be ready to help her give birth. It wasn’t long before she reached her hand down and could feel the head of the baby.

In a matter of seconds, the baby was born.

The dispatcher told David to hold the baby’s head. After the rest of him was born, the father carefully cleaned the baby’s face before giving him to Sarah to nurse.

There was one more problem.

“The dispatcher tells me to bind the umbilical cord. He’s still connected to my wife. Literally.”- David shared.

That’s when Sarah handed over a PPE mask. It was hand-sewn by her grandmother.

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David quickly rolled it into a tortilla and tied his son’s umbilical cord.

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YouTube

After a few minutes, help arrived.

The couple safely made it into the Labor and Delivery building where he was able to cut his baby’s umbilical cord officially.

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