A mom in California got the surprise of her life earlier this week when she went into early labor and had her water break right there in her living room. But for Destiny Padilla, the realization that she was going to have her baby in her own house wasn't her biggest shock -- because her 6-year-old daughter was the one who stepped up to the plate to help deliver the baby!
Destiny admits being scared because her cellphone battery was dead, so she couldn't call 911 for help right away. The only person there to assist her was her little girl, Nevaeh, who understood her mom's fragile state and immediately started trying to keep her calm. And after the phone charged a bit and they were able to get through to 911 operators, they worked together to make sure the baby was born safely. Nevaeh even helped her mom tie off the umbilical cord!
Being the parent of a 6-year-old myself, I can't even imagine being in that situation.
That little girl must have been so worried about her mother and whether or not she was going to be ok! My first concern if I ever fell into a situation like theirs would be how it would affect my son. I hate to even think about him sitting there in fear, wondering exactly what the heck was going on. And honestly, once he figured it out, I don't think he'd be too keen on jumping into the role of labor & delivery nurse.
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Don't get me wrong -- my son is a pretty amazing little dude. He's smart, funny, and has one heck of a personality -- but he's still a typical little kid. I'm thinking he could probably manage to call for help on the phone or run to a neighbor's house, but the minute he realized that I was about to give birth right in our own living room, I'm pretty sure he'd freak. And he'd probably ask me to move into another part of the house so I wouldn't mess up his Legos. (Priorities.)
But then again, there is a possibility that he'd get the whole adrenaline rush thing going on and put on a brave face, which is probably what happened in Neveah's case. I guess you can't really underestimate the maturity level of a young child who wants to help their parent!
Has your child ever helped you in an unexpected way?
Image via rahego/Flickr
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Comments 36
I've had home births with all of my children and the siblings are always present. I am glad my children know the physiological processes of life. Keeping these things from your children is what makes them scared to be adults. If you ask my kids about people going to the hospital to have children they look at you like you are crazy. I try to explain to them that some people do give birth in hospitals and even NEED to give birth in hospitals. My son will see a pregnant woman and, at five years old, recount the birth of his siblings. Also, fwiw, you shouldn't tie off the umbilical cord. This is an old practice that can cause more harm than good. Google "lotus birth" and "delayed cord clamping" The benefits are amazing and more and more hospitals are adopting the policy.
My dad has terrible alliergies and the one night they were so bad the dranage made him start hacking and coughing took him a good 3 or 4 mins to catch his breath and my 2 1/2 year old nephew (at the time) came up and said "oh Bumpa are you okay?" in the SWEETEST voice ever lol, he will be 3 in August.