Woman gives birth in her driveway

by Angie Felton (Subscribe to Angie Felton's posts) Jan 31st 2008 3:30PM

Categories: Pregnancy & Birth, In The News, Weird But True

A twenty-five year old gave birth to her first child in her driveway after being sent home from the hospital where she was told the pains she had been experiencing were "false labor."

Charryse Brooks wasn't due until February 22nd, but insisted her husband return her to the hospital after the contractions and pain got stronger. She only made it to the driveway.

"She looked at me, right in the eye, so calmly, too. She said, 'Tim, the baby's here,'" said her husband, the Rev. Timothy Brooks.

The new dad caught the 4-pound, 3-ounce newborn girl in the leg of the sweat pants his wife was wearing and rushed them back to the hospital.

Because she's obviously a very calm person, (No drugs and "the baby's here"?!) I'm guessing Charryse didn't slap the nurses who pooh-poohed her earlier.

Unusual Places Babies are Born(click thumbnails to view gallery)

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Comments (89)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)

Cheryl 1-31-2008 @ 4:06PM

My sister-in-law's last labor was less than 45 minutes, I think. She's due with number three in a couple months, and I think she's terrified of this happening to her.

Isn't that a big liability for the hospital to have just sent the lady home, telling her it was false labor? Labor contractions aren't always regular, and I wonder if they even checked her for dilation.

Cheryl
http://redpens-diapers.blogspot.com
http://skinnymeals.blogspot.com

gzusluvslori37 2-03-2008 @ 10:05PM

A California hospital sent my sister in law home telling her she was having braxton hicks contractions. She had been to her regular OB/GYN appointment earlier that day and the doctor sent her to the hospital...then the hospital sent her home after checking her and whatnot. Here's the kicker, the dummies(sorry to those offended) said they checked her and everything was fine, when she returned to the hospital 2 hours later and checked they found out my niece was a frank breech(folded in half at the waist with her feet in her face) with her little butt locked deep in her moms pelvis. Needless to say my sister in law had an emergency c-section...thank God my niece was born healthy. We did get the added benefit of her resuming her prenatal position when you laid her down...feet would just go back up to her face...it was so funny!!!

Zab 2-04-2008 @ 5:02AM

When my mom was pregnant with me, she was given a sedative and sent home after being told by a nurse that she wasn't in labor. She gave birth to me shortly after getting home. Luckily the paramedics got there in time to deliver, because I wasn't breathing due to the sedative.

Heather 1-31-2008 @ 4:55PM

Oh I feel her pain!! I was sent home with our second child after I was told I was having "false labor", even after I told them I didn't have regular contractions with the first child. Luckily I did make it back to the hospital with only about 30 minutes to spare. However she still landed on the bed....literally. She came so fast the doctor didn't have time to get in the room, and he was just down the hall. So, I can see how this can happen, Oh so easy.

Mike 2-03-2008 @ 8:20PM

I pity her. At least she'll have an interesting "how you were born story" to tell her kid later. And a good bargaining chip later. I had an ex-boyfriend who's mom always said stuff like "6 hours of the worst pain of my life and you can't even...??!!!" He was always kind of a momma's boy so I never understood what she was complaining about.

gzusluvslori37 2-03-2008 @ 10:07PM

My mother in law had 12 kids...the first 10 made it to the hospital...one was born in the hospital parking lot, the last in the hospital elevator :o)

My kids came fast....first one 4 hours, second one 2 hours(nurse delivered her), third one hour(I delivered him...while the nurses watched), the last 4 hours.

Yolanda 2-03-2008 @ 8:22PM

My baby girl was born in the van and no one
was with me. I waited because I didn't want to be sent home. I've heard you are sent home for "false labor' and I didn't want to be sent home. So I waited....too long.

Tea 2-03-2008 @ 8:35PM

Funny how SOMEONE ELSE can tell you how you are feeling!!! If a baby is ready to be born.....they are coming! Regardless if a nurse or doctor are too lazy at the time to admit you or even check you!! Just a blessing the baby was ok.

Jan 2-03-2008 @ 10:44PM

As a Labor & Delivery RN for 20 years, I can tell you this is the exception to the rule. The comment about the nurses and Doctors being to "lazy" to admit you is insulting. You obviously have no idea what we do and how hard we work. The physician ultimately makes the decision to admit the patient or send her home. And every patient that arrives for a labor evaluation has a cervical exam done, if after a certain time there is no cervical change, the patient is sent home. This is a Science, we do not have crystal balls. There are those that fall out of the "norm".

TolietPlop 2-03-2008 @ 8:33PM

Wow. These must be some loose slots for these kids to just slide out.

cacatrn 2-03-2008 @ 8:45PM

Your comment is comical but not noteworthy. You need to take a physiology course so that your next comment about the human body has relevance.

Lez 2-04-2008 @ 1:38AM

You're showing your ignorance.

Kathy 2-03-2008 @ 8:35PM

Been there, done that, but at least I made it to he car and most of the way to the hospital, and a healthy 8lbs. And of course, not a police car in sight!. I asked my husband to get me a wheelchair 'cause I didn't really want to walk in with the cord still hanging out with the baby on the other end. I think the ER staff was more freaked out than I was! They came running out, asking if she was breathing. I told them I wouldn't be calmly sitting there if she wasn't. By then, I was in no pain.

Heather D 2-03-2008 @ 10:39PM

Something like this should not have happened that baby could have been really in trouble..I dont know what I would have done if something like this happened when I had my second baby...My water broke at midnight on the dot and my daughter came into the world excatly 2 hrs and 25 min later and the doctor did not have time to get into the room either..go figure...

ladywolf 2-03-2008 @ 8:43PM

MY FIRST CHILD, LABOR WAS 8 HRS START TO FINISH, 2ND WAS 6 HRS, 3RD WAS 4 HRS, AND MY LAST WAS 1 HR AND BORN IN THE LIVING ROOM. THE PARAMEDICS WERE JUST COMING THRU THE DOOR AND MY MOM SAID "YOU'RE TOO LATE" I JUST DELIVERED MY GRANDSON. HE WAS FINE AND HEALTHY, WE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL JUST TO GET CHECKED AND THEN CAME HOME. BABYS COME WHEN THEY WANT, AND ALOT ARE BORN EVERYDAY IN PLACES OTHER THAN THE HOSPITAL. I AMM GLAD THIS BABY WAS FINE, AND THE MOM TOO.

Sue 2-03-2008 @ 8:54PM

Toiletplop - you should be careful - your ignorance is showing

Greeksldy 2-03-2008 @ 8:45PM

The nurses and doctors never listen. They should always listen to the mother because you know what your body is feeling. I had all my kids fast. My longest labor was 4 hrs. and that was for the 1st one. My 4th one, they barely got me on the table and the doctor walked in and caught her. The fact that that was her 1st is really something because they usually take longer.

Stephanie 2-03-2008 @ 9:00PM

As a labor and delivery nurse I would like to offer my opinion on this story. When a patient is admitted for a labor evaluation, a cervical exam is always performed and contractions and fetal heart rate are monitored closely. Sending a woman home in early labor is not a question of laziness it is usually very helpful to assist in the transition from early labor to active labor. There have been many studies proving that women transition to active labor faster when they are in their own home because they feel safe there. Of course I feel for women who don't make it to the hospital because it must be very scary for them but babies are usually on their own schedule and sometimes a rapid labor and delivery is unavoidable. I am very happy that this woman and her child are safe and healthy.

Sunfaccra51 2-03-2008 @ 10:39PM

Stephanie, you are talking about how things are done WHERE YOU WORK!!! You cannot make blanket statements that things are always done that way in every facility. Too many of us have had experiences that negate these type of "always" statements.

Mama2two 2-04-2008 @ 3:27AM

Are you serious? When I went into labor with my son I was rushed to the emergency room and the nurse checked me I was 4 cm dialated with my contractions 5 minutes apart on the dot and she was going to try to send me home! I told that woman if she sent me home and I had my baby outside of the hospital as a result I'd make sure I was suing her and the hospital for malpractice! RN's and Doctors are usually too busy to pay attention to anything that doesn't directly affect them! I'm sick of them trying to act like they care...didn't you hear about dennis quaids kids?! I mean the main reason anyone heard about that is because he's famous and rich. if that was some middle class family the media wouldn't care half as much, but it's the NURSE'S fault! I'm a CNA we actually care about people an RN's only excuse is she has way more people to care for and that's not an excuse it's a cop-out! Stop complaining you get paid a lot more then most of you deserve. I'm sick of stories like this. It's bad enough they're practically forcing C-sections on some women but to send a woman home and have her give birth in her driveway...if I was her I'd sue the hospital for neglegence!