Expectant mum Billie Ward had been told it was unlikely she would give birth on her due date, so was convinced that her cramps were because she needed to do ‘a big poo’.
After the 22-year-old had been in pain and straining for around an hour, she called 999 and an operator informed her she was most likely giving birth.
However even after her mum Liesa Allcock and husband Josh, 24, had a ‘look’, the they didn’t know if Billie’s waters had broken.
But within moments of paramedics arriving, Billie had her baby.
The full-time student shared photos of herself after the birth, with the toilet right behind her and the paramedic tending to her baby on towels.
Now Billie is sharing her story to urge mums-to-be not to put off going to hospital for too long – unless they want a home birth.
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”.
‘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”.’
Bille added: ‘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.
‘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.’
After having daughter Arete, Bilie, who is pregnant again, has decided to have a home birth, calling the experience earlier this year ‘amazing’.
Billie had been expecting to be induced in early February 2020, after midwives warned little Arete would likely come late.
In late January, Billie began to feel some pains and later that night, they worsened to period-type pains.
After ringing the maternity unit to be on the safe side, she remained at home as her waters hadn’t broken so still assumed she was not giving birth.
After Josh went to sleep, Billie soon found herself in agony – but was still convinced she just needed the toilet.
Billie said: ‘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. 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 said to the ambulance woman “I’m not sure, this could be a poo. But I’m in a lot of pain”.
‘My husband 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.’
Billie’s mum was able to rush to the scene as she lived nearby but didn’t know herself if Billie was in labour as there was no crowning, due to the baby still being in the sac.
The medical team arrived at 5.05am and found Billie on her bathroom floor with her worried mum, before little baby Arete arrived 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.’
Since her surprise labour, Billie has developed an even stronger appreciation for her body – and is now expecting baby number two next February.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/21/student-thought-she-was-doing-big-poo-but-was-actually-giving-birth-13784041/
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