Mum helps deliver own grandchild after daughter gives birth in backseat of car
A woman gave birth in the backseat of a Vauxhall Zafira Saphira, parked on the side of the road as her own mum helped deliver her grandchild.
Lorien Williams, 24, was tidying up toys when her waters broke and along with her mother Hayley Williams, 54, sister Deanna Bass, 33, and partner Luke Sermandel, 28, quickly bundled her into their seven-seater car, racing towards Singleton Hospital in Swansea, Wales. But just 15 minutes into the journey Lorien felt the irresistible urge to push.
Sister Deanna promptly pulled over near Tirdeunaw, Swansea, and nan-to-be Hayley sprang into action, moving to the back of the car to assist her daughter in delivering her newborn. With the hospital still 20 minutes away, they relied on emergency services to guide them through the situation via phone.
Lorien and Harper-Rae (Lorien Williams / SWNS)
Sisters Ruby and Harper-Rae (Lorien Williams / SWNS)At 3.03am on August 9, 2022, little Harper Rae made her grand entrance into the world. Following the roadside delivery, mother and baby were rushed to the hospital where medical professionals checked them over before giving them the green light to return home.
Lorien, a former carer turned stay-at-home mum said: "I still can't get over that it actually happened, it really is crazy. There was no way anybody could have predicted that this was going to happen. If we had got to the hospital, my sister wouldn't have been able to be in the room to see me give birth. In a way the moment was bittersweet for us all."
'I gave birth in a car stuck in traffic - my baby ended up inside my trousers'
Lorien, Ruby and Harper-Rae (Lorien Williams / SWNS)Lorien was heavily pregnant with Harper-Rae, in August last year when she invited her sister and her children over for dinner. As she waited for them to arrive, she headed to the garden with her daughter, Ruby, three. Lorien said: “I was cleaning the back garden and needing a rest, so I sat down on my daughter's trampoline, and I felt a pop and then noticed my water had broken. She decided to call her sister for help.
"I was all alone and scared. I started to panic over the phone, but she helped calm me down," she said. Lorien’s sister, Deanna, then rushed over with her children in tow. Lorien said: "I decided to wait as I wasn’t in any real pain, but during those hours my water kept trickling constantly."
She decided to head to the hospital to have a sweep - a process used to bring on natural labour when someone is overdue - and was sent home at 12.30am. But Lorien says she remembers being in “agony” soon after arriving home.
The ambulances on scene after Lorien gave birth (Lorien Williams / SWNS)She was then rushed back to the hospital in her sister's car, alongside her mum, Hayley, and partner, Luke, a security guard, at 2.45am. But they didn't make it far and just 15 minutes after they had left, her mum had the baby in her arms - after turning midwife and helping deliver her.
The incident wasn’t all smooth running though after Hayley and Deanna noticed that the umbilical cord was wrapped around Harper-Rae’s neck. The delivery was not without its complications. Hayley and Deanna noticed that the umbilical cord was wrapped around Harper-Rae's neck. A terrified Lorien said: "I was really scared. They were trying to pull the chord, to unravel it from her neck. It's incredible how it happened."
Now one year old, the proud mum added: "Harper is now speaking - saying mam and dad. She is doing amazing. If I could, I would do it all again tomorrow."
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up The Mirror's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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