LaFayette, NY — Katy Curtis’ contractions were about 10 minutes apart Friday, so she and her husband figured they had time to get to the doctor’s office.
They were wrong.
As they drove down LaFayette Road, Katy’s water broke. Stefan pulled over and called 911.
Katy was sitting in the passenger seat. As Stefan went around to her side, he found a surprise.
“There was a head sticking out,” he said, “and as I got around to talk to 911, the baby was coming out.”
Katy leaned forward to pull the baby out. “She pretty much finished the job,’’ her husband said.
Stefan stayed on the phone with 911. A dispatcher asked: Do you have a clean shoelace to tie the umbilical cord with? No, he only had the one on his shoe, and it wasn’t clean.
The 911 operator started giving Stefan step-by-step instructions on delivering the baby, but they were way past that point.
“I told them the baby is already here,’’ he said. “He’s literally out.”
The couple said they were pretty calm throughout. They only had one moment of panic.
“We started to get worried because it took about 30 seconds for the baby to cry,’’ he said. “Then all was good.”
Bennett Michael was 7 pounds 7 ounces and 21 inches long, delivered in a 2019 Lincoln MKC. Katy remembers it was painful but a blur.
“It happened so fast,’’ she said. “It was crazy.”
Stefan stayed on the phone with 911 for about 10 minutes until emergency responders arrived. He said five or six police officers and two ambulances showed up.
Bennett was two days early and was born within 90 seconds after her water broke. Katy had a completely different experience with Hudson, her 15-month-old son. She was in labor 45 hours.
Katy said her contractions started that morning, but she went to work at Onondaga Community College, where she’s a day care teacher. She left shortly after, and called Stefan to come and pack just in case. He’s a property manager for apartments in Syracuse.
After the birth, mom and baby then went to Crouse Hospital, and they were released Saturday night.
The couple say looking back, it’s hard to comprehend what happened. But they say they are grateful for the emergency responders, and that there were no complications.
“That’s a miracle in itself,’’ Stefan said.
Source: syracuse.com
