A unemployed pregnant woman arrived at the police station in Negril on Saturday begging the police for taxi fare to go to the hospital.
Before they could give her the money, it was apparent that the baby wasn’t going to wait.
Even though they were not prepared, Inspector Nadine Grant-Brown and two other female constables delivered the woman’s baby boy.
“It was a humanitarian situation and we as officers have sworn to serve and protect,” said Constable Densil Scott, the Constabulary Communication Network liaison officer for Negril Police.
“The baby was delivered without any problem whatsoever, it just about brought tears to our eyes.”
The woman who is the mother of five other children was taken to hospital by the police along with paramedics from the Negril Fire Station.
This is the second time that a baby has been delivered at the Negril Police Station. The first was during Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
Babies will come when THEY are ready. We have covered stories about newborns being delivered in parking lots, elevators and taxis.
I sometimes think that pregnant women take signs of labor too lightly and wait too long to get to the hospital.
How do you know if you are in Labor?
As your due date approaches, Braxton Hicks contractions may become stronger or even painful. Eventually, Braxton Hicks contractions will be replaced by the real thing. To tell the difference, ask yourself these questions:
- Are the contractions regular? Time your contractions from the beginning of one to the beginning of the next. Look for a regular pattern of contractions that get stronger and closer together. Contractions that come at least every five minutes are likely to be the real thing. The contractions of false labor will remain irregular.
- How long do they last? Measure the length of each contraction by timing when it begins and when it ends. True contractions last more than 30 seconds at first and get progressively longer — up to 75 seconds — and stronger. With false labor, contractions vary in length and intensity.
- Can you stop the contractions? True contractions continue regardless of your activity level or position. In fact, they often grow stronger with increased activity, such as walking. With false labor, you may be able to stop the contractions by changing your activity or position, lying down or even taking a walk.
- Where do you feel the contractions? The pain of true contractions tends to begin high in the abdomen, radiating throughout the abdomen and lower back. With false labor, the contractions are often concentrated in the lower abdomen.
