A remarkable video captures the moment a woman from Florida gave birth to her baby in the parking lot of a medical center, with a midwife skillfully catching the newborn to prevent her from falling to the ground.
On June 19, Susan Anderson, in the midst of labor, hurried into Natural Birth Works in Coral Springs. However, baby Julia had other plans and couldn’t wait any longer.
Surveillance footage from Ring shows Susan’s husband, Joseph, and two police officers witnessing the extraordinary event as the newborn slipped through one of her mom’s shorts, only to be deftly caught by midwife Sandra Lovaina.
Recalling the incident, Anderson shared with Local 10 News, “During the car ride to the birth center, I turned to my husband, and I was like, ‘I need to push!’” The doorbell camera managed to capture the unexpected moment of childbirth in the parking lot.
Baby Julia slipped through the leg of her mom Susan’s shorts in the parking lot of Natural Birth Works in Coral Springs on June 19 as a midwife quickly grabbed her from falling
The newborn girl, as seen in the picture, was in good health following one of the swiftest deliveries ever witnessed at the center.
“I didn’t think I wouldn’t make it into the building,” remarked Anderson, who had previously given birth to her first daughter at the same center and had planned for a water birth, rushing to reach the birthing pool.
As Anderson and her husband hurried, she recounted, “By the time we got to the first step, the head was coming. That was my focus, just getting inside to the birthing tub, but she had other ideas.”
In the video, Anderson is bent over with her husband by her side, and Lovaina, the midwife, kneeling behind her. Two police officers approach upon hearing the commotion in the area.
Reassuring the officers, Lovaina exclaims, “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m a midwife, she’s going to have a baby,” with laughter in her voice. Anderson then lets out a scream, and Lovaina skillfully catches baby Julia as the curious officers observe.
The newborn is promptly placed into her mother’s arms, where she begins to cry, and Anderson finally makes her way into the center.
Reflecting on the unique delivery, Lovaina told WFLA that she had been involved in some extraordinary deliveries before, but this one was a new experience.
Two police officers who were in the area and heard a commotion had walked over to see if they could help but looked on bemused as Susan gave birth and was rushed inside
Midwife Sandra Lovaina, pictured right, had rushed out with gloves on after receiving a call from Joseph Anderson, left, saying his wife was in labor and that she was ready to push
Lovaina said it was one of the most crazy deliveries she had been involved in
‘Not in the parking lot. Babies sometimes come really quick. You just gotta be, you gotta be quick. Put your gloves on, just go,’ she said.
Owner of Natural Birth Works Gelena Hinkley, who is also a midwife, said that it was a very memorable birth.
‘She had been our client before. We’ve done her other delivery, and round two was just a lot faster,’ she said.
‘No one was expecting it to be that fast.’
Susan Anderson, pictured right with newborn Julia, said that she was very focused on getting inside and into the water pool but on the first step of the enter could feel the head was coming
Anderson already has a daughter who she gave birth to in the same center
Natural Birth Works in Coral Springs posted the video, captured on their Ring, and shared it on Facebook, declaring it as a memorable moment.
The medical center’s Facebook post reads, “Mom & baby are doing amazing, and we can all laugh at how awesome this birth was. Especially because the cops looked pretty shell-shocked.”
Describing the multitasking involved in catching the baby and reassuring the officers, they added, “Multitasking by catching a baby and letting them know we were all good was quite the experience! One of the most exciting births of 2020.”
In response to the unexpected but joyous birth, Susan Anderson commented, “If this gives people a little joy or a little encouragement during this time, it’s for the better.” The video not only captured a unique and memorable birth but also provided a lighthearted moment during what may have been a challenging time for many.