Like most mums, Tabitha Kendal had her baby at her local hospital.
The Australian mum gave birth to her second baby Zayne Mara in Townsville Hospital, not far from where she lives. But little Zayne wasn’t born in the delivery room – he arrived in the middle of the hospital’s switch room!
The unusual story kicked off on Monday when Tabitha went into early labour. She and partner Chester Mara made a frantic dash to the hospital, but it quickly became clear that Zayne wasn’t going to wait.
“My poor partner had to try and get me to the birth suite but I just told him ‘I don’t think I can go anywhere’,” she told Kidspot.
“I was freaking out because my body was pushing and then we saw a lady open the door to the switchboard room.”
It was the hospital’s switch operator Michelle Bouchard (pictured below, back left), who had heard Tabitha’s screams from outside.
Keen to help, she brought her into the switch room which quickly became the delivery suite.
“I didn’t want her to give birth on the hospital floor with no privacy,” said Michelle.
Michelle called the midwife but whilst waiting for her arrival, she had to try and juggle playing midwife and answering calls. “I was still trying to do my job at the same time because the phones were still ringing,” she laughed.
Just six minutes after arriving at the hospital, Tabitha gave birth to Zayne and can’t believe how it all went down. “I can’t believe it was so quick and I was able to do it without any pain relief,” she said. “It was pretty crazy and I felt so sorry for the poor people working in the switch room.”
There’s no need to, however. Michelle loved getting a break from the norm!
“Literally bub came out right near my feet,” she said. “I have seen so many babies be born here, there and everywhere in the hospital but nothing like this. It was lovely to see how Tabitha handled it and to see them again before they left the hospital.”
