Kids help mother deliver baby

I found this story on MSNBC News from Fremont, California. Alana Sanders went into labor while at home with no one around to help but her 11 year old daughter, Faith, and her 9 year old son, Jabari. Sanders’ is 36 years old and this was her 4th child. She gave birth while standing in her bathroom, with both her kids helping her and talking to 911 to get them through it. Her husband, Geoffrey left for work around 1:30am and was unable to help. The 911 call is posted on KRON4. Sanders’ said, “They didn’t freak out. They didn’t fight with each other.” After Jabari tells the dispatcher that the baby was here, Faith gets on the phone and the dispatcher tells her to, “wipe the baby with a clean towel and tie, not cut, the umbilical cord with a string or shoelace about six inches from the baby’s body.” The new baby was 9 lbs and 4 oz, and was named Joseph. Alana Sanders said, “It’s still not real to me that I gave birth to my baby in the bathroom. I’m just very grateful that my kids were there.”

This is an amazing story; and it is so amazing what kids will do in times of need. Kids may act like kids 99.9% of the time, but when it comes to situations where a child must be the adult, they are very good at the transformation.

Alana Sanders is very lucky she had her kids to help her get through this, and this will be an amazing story to tell her new baby when he gets older. This may even help create a strong bond between the siblings, knowing that they helped deliver their new baby brother. This is the first story like this that I’ve seen, and it is so neat how things work out. The stresses of labor are tough as they are, but do deliver a baby in your bathroom must be very hard, especially when there is no one around to help you. I was very lucky in my delivery of my son. I didn’t get my epidural until I was dilated to an 8 and I probably didn’t even need it then. But when I did get it, I was numb from the breasts down, I couldn’t feel a thing. So I could not imagine being Alana and not having any pain meds or anyone there to tell you how everything is going. It is such a good thing the dispatcher was able to talk the kids through the process of taking care of the baby after he was born, and making sure the mom was laying down so she wouldn't bleed more. I listened to the dispatcher call and it was great. Here are 10 guidlines for a stress-free labor.

I’m just glad to hear the baby is good and healthy, and hopefully one day Faith and Jabari will tell their little brother Joseph about the night he was born, and how they helped keep him safe and helped take care of their mother in her time of need.