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Mum Gives Birth In Bathroom After Mistaking Labour For Needing A Poo

Mum Gives Birth In Bathroom After Mistaking Labour For Needing A Poo

The new-mum hasn't been put off by the experience and says she would have a home birth in the future

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

A new mum gave birth in the bathroom after thinking she just needed a poo but was actually in labour.

Photos taken just after the birth show a relieved-looking Billie Ward after giving birth in her bathroom at home while medics checked over her newborn.

Billie, 22, had been told it was unlikely she would give birth on her due date so was sure she only needed to use the toilet.

However, after being in pain for around an hour she called 999 and was told she was most likely in labour.

Billie is now speaking out to urge other expectant mums to listen to their bodies and to not put off going into hospital.

Billie, from Bridgnorth, Shropshire, said: "I called 999 and said 'I'm really sorry to ring you. I'm due to give birth but I do think it might be a poo'.

"[The call handler] just said 'you're going to have to get off the toilet because I don't think it's going to be a poo'.

"I was going to the toilet, being sick and trying to push this poo out.

"My mum took so many photos. There's some where I'm thinking 'oh my god, what is happening? This is not a poo, this is a baby'.

Kennedy News and Media

"My message [to other mums] would be 'listen to your body'. Your body is doing what it's meant to do. It will take over.

"People get so overwhelmed but your body is an amazing thing. Let it take its course.

"Don't go to hospital too early - but definitely don't leave it too late. It's a mess you don't want to be cleaning up. The number of towels we went through was insane.

"It was the most amazing experience of my life - so much so I'm planning a second home birth.

"It's a good story to tell when Arete's older."

Billie had been expecting to be induced in February after being told by midwives Arete would most likely be born late.

But on the 22 January, she began to experience pains, which worsened as the night went on. Billie called the maternity unit but because her waters hadn't broken, she stayed at home.

Billie said: "I came downstairs at 3.45am. I was biting down on the sofa because I could feel this pain and genuinely thought it was a poo.

"By this point, no waters had broken. Every time I pushed, I thought 'I don't know what that was'. I'd never had a baby.

Kennedy News and Media

"She came out in her sack and my waters didn't break. That's why I couldn't understand why it didn't feel like a head.

"I got in the bath around 4am and I realised I was bleeding a bit."

Soon after Billie was forced to call an ambulance - but she still wasn't sure if she was in full labour.

It was only when she was on the phone being coached by call handlers that she was told to 'go for it' if she needed to push.

Billie said: "I rang 999 at 4.45am, it was not okay. I was biting down and scratching myself because I was in so much pain.

"My mum had four C-sections so she'd never had a contraction either.

"I said to the ambulance woman 'I'm not sure, this could be a poo. But I'm in a lot of pain'.

"My husband [Josh] said 'do you want me to take you to hospital?' They said 'let her stay at home where she is'. It's not great living in the middle of nowhere.

"My husband rang my mum and said 'I think she's giving birth' and she rushed over. Luckily, she only lives down the road so she drove up.

"I asked Josh to look and he said 'no, there's nothing there' and my mum said 'I can feel something but it doesn't feel like a head'.

"The paramedics said 'keep yourself calm. If you need to push, just go for it'."

Kennedy News and Media

Medics arrived on the scene at 5.05am and Billie, who was lying on the bathroom floor, gave birth at 5.10am.

Billie said: "The woman ran up the stairs and said 'if you give one push, the baby's going to be here'.

"She gave me gas and air after I gave birth as my body was in shock, I was shaking.

"Because of how quickly I went into labour, my waters didn't break. My body wasn't prepared.

"The paramedic just pulled the sac away from her. Apparently, it's quite lucky to have a baby on their due date and still in their sac.

"The first thing Josh said was 'I think I need to get a coffee'. I think he was in so much shock.

"He was like 'oh my god, what has just happened in my bathroom. I've been awake 10 minutes'."

Shortly after giving birth, Billie was taken to hospital in Teleford where she was stitched up and sent home the same day.

Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and Media

Topics: Interesting, UK