By BRIDGET SCOTT
THE loading zone became the delivery zone outside St John of God Hospital in Berwick last week when baby Tully Elizabeth just couldn’t wait to come out.
Pakenham resident Sarah Farrell was sure she would make it to hospital in time last Wednesday when her baby girl was on her way.
Ms Farrell said it was about 11pm last Tuesday night when she first thought her baby may be on the way and called the hospital.
“I thought they were very mild (cramps) and I got up around 1pm to call the hospital and they said to try and get some sleep,” she said.
Around 4am on Wednesday morning the pain got worse and Ms Farrell said she called her husband’s parents to warm them they may need to come and look after her 17-month-old son Jax.
By the time 9am rolled around on Wednesday 2 April, the couple called the hospital to say they were on the way after Ms Farrell said her pain had become worse.
After the couple sped down Racecourse Road in Pakenham, to Ms Farrell’s horror they reached the freeway right in time for peak hour.
“It was around 9.20am and the traffic was so heavy,” she said.
As the car ride continued the young mum’s pain threshold was wearing thin and the traffic didn’t ease.
“We pulled on to Clyde Road and had to stop at the lights, then outside the university again and there was more traffic,” Ms Farrell said.
Ms Farrell said her water broke at the bottom of Gibb Street where the hospital was and she knew she couldn’t wait much longer.
“I was screaming like I was being murdered,” she said.
“The baby started to come as we were driving up the street.”
Ms Farrell said somehow her husband Jon managed to stay calm throughout the entire ordeal but he didn’t realise what was still in store.
When the couple pulled up outside the hospital a midwife was out the front with a wheelchair.
“I screamed at the nurse who opened the door and she said the head and hands were sticking out.”
With not enough time to make it inside, the baby came out while Ms Farrell was still in the car and her husband helped catch it.
“He then grabbed one of my jumpers from the car to use it as a blanket,” said Ms Farrell.
The hospital room them moved outside where about 10 nurses came out to help cut the cord.
Ms Farrell said as soon as her new daughter was out it was as if she forgot the pain.
“It’s amazing how quickly it all stops,” she said.
Her premature baby of nine days is doing well but mum is still in shock that they didn’t make it to the maternity ward in time.
“I was sure we would make it to the hospital,” she said.
