Mum's Shocking Experience of a Rapid Birth

One minute, Tasmanian mum Jess Thomas was your typical pregnant lady, going for a wee in the morning. The next? She was cradling her newborn baby in her arms after a rapid birth while sitting on the toilet.

Jess shares her rapid birth story (also known as precipitous labour or precipitous birth) with Mum Central, admitting she never expected to have her newborn “virtually fall right out of me.”

Jess rapid birth — Jess shares her incredible rapid birth story with Mum Central. Source: Supplied

I had a baby in 10 minutes

At 38 weeks pregnant, Jess was preparing for another week or two of one-on-one time with her son, three-year-old Charlie, before welcoming their newest addition to the family. On 16th September she went to bed around 10:30pm with minor cramping.

“They were hardly there at all and I was sure they were just Braxton Hicks. My period cramps before pregnancy were worse than the ones I was currently experiencing,” Jess tells Mum Central.

At 7:40am Jess woke up feeling well-rested. She headed to the toilet and felt a small pop and a tiny little bit of liquid.

I thought that it could of been my waters but I was not 100% sure as my waters didn’t break naturally with my first child.”

With Charlie, Jess was induced and in labour for just over two hours – another rapid birth! She figured this time around it wouldn’t hurt to call her mum and let her know she could be in labour soon.

“As I was talking to my Mum, still sitting on the toilet, I got a sharp intense cramp so I decided to hang up the phone and get off the toilet to try and walk into the bathroom.

As I got to the bathroom the “cramp” became quite painful. I then had the sudden urge to push.”

Jess called her partner Zac in to ‘check’ what the heck was going on there – and, yep, there was a baby’s head.

While Zac attempted to deal with three-year-old Charlie and not freak out, Jess waddled her way back to the toilet. Zac called emergency services and Jess, once again, felt the urge to push.

I did half a push and my tiny 6lb 4oz baby virtually fell out of me and into my hands.”

At 7:50 am, just 10 minutes after waking up for the day and having her waters break, Jess was a mum of two!

Jess Thomas rapid birth story — Jess’s phone remains in her hand after calling her mum just a few minutes earlier. Source: Supplied

A fast and furious labour

Baby Liliana came out screaming her little lungs out and, as instructed by the 000 operators, Jess and Liliana laid down on the toilet floor until the ambulance arrived 8 minutes later.

Meanwhile, big brother Charlie managed to catch a glimpse of the whole thing unfolding. Talk about an eventful morning!

mum central — Proud big brother Charlie with Liliana and mumma. Source: Supplied

Liliana and Jess headed to the hospital to get checked out and were discharged four hours later.

Three months later and baby Liliana is thriving. She has over doubled in size and has completed our family perfectly. We are so very blessed and thankful for a safe and healthy delivery despite her dramatic and very fast entrance into the world!”

Precipitous labour and birth

Precipitous labour is defined as extremely rapid labour and delivery, within three hours of the commencement of regular contractions.

We’ve shared rapid birth stories in the past – this Sydney mum gave birth in 47 minutes. Another mum in the UK had her baby in less than one minute (crazy, right!). But little Liliana’s dramatic arrival is the quickest Australian labour we’ve ever come across! How about you?

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