Lightning birth in the living room: Dad suddenly becomes a midwife – special news for baby Fiona in the clinic

Created: 01/17/2022 13:02

A happy family: (from left) Hanna Ludwig (8), Christina Ludwig (35), little Fiona, Josef Block (42) and Julia Ludwig (11) are proud of their little darling.

© Paulina Porer

Fiona Block is a flawless Krünerin.

When the belated Christkindl is born, it gets mum and dad really excited.

Father Josef Block has to spontaneously step in as a midwife at home.

Krün

- The following story reads like a Hollywood screenplay.

Tuesday, December 28, 2021, 7:38 a.m.: Josef Block calls the hospital: “We’re going to leave right away, prepare everything, we’ll start right away.” The expectant mother Christina Ludwig struggles to get dressed for the trip to the clinic.

Lightning birth at home: father becomes a midwife – and follows the instructions of the emergency call

But she doesn't make it any further than the cloakroom.

Contractions come every two minutes.

Back to the living room.

The 35-year-old climbs along the kitchen counter to the dining table and holds on to the chair.

Your worried partner dials 911.

The amniotic sac bursts.

Now everything is suddenly going so fast – a birth thriller in time lapse.

The father-to-be follows the instructions of the control center: on the couch and a few towels.

Block and his partner actually want to wait for Sanka, but the impatient Fiona sets a different rhythm.

"The head is coming," says Christina Ludwig to her friend, who is still talking to the experts on the other end of the line.

"Then he was the midwife."

Unplanned home birth: Baby Fiona is born seven minutes after the emergency call

The new dad needs some time to process the miracle of childbirth.

Days later, Josef Block points to the kitchen and remembers: “I stood here and made a call.

Then Christina said: 'I think the head is sticking out'.” At that moment it shot through his head: “Oh shit, I have to hang up now.” Krüner immediately rushes to his girlfriend.

One more contraction and then it was all there.

Joseph Block

Another woe.

Now he sees his daughter's whole head.

"One more contraction and then it was all there," he says.

Although the 42-year-old has never been present at a birth and is becoming a father for the first time, he knows exactly what needs to be done.

"I was very calm."

In the end, it was seven minutes from the emergency call until little Fiona Josefine had completely slipped out of her mother's belly - five minutes to eight o'clock.

"Actually, we wanted to wait for the Sanka," says Christina Ludwig.

He was probably too late.

"I totally underestimated it," says the 35-year-old.

The births of her two other daughters had lasted 24 and 42 hours respectively.

After lightning birth: task force arrives - "But we were already done"

Neither of them would have thought that it would happen so quickly this time.

"We were then probably four or five minutes alone with her here on the couch until everyone came" - a moment that was at least as unforgettable for the parents.

"Because Josef brought her into the world," emphasizes the proud mother.

“And because it was so quiet too.

Fiona didn't scream.” Except for once, but only briefly.

"She looked at me with big eyes and then it was quiet again," he adds.

Shortly thereafter, the task force arrives.

With the relieved parents, there are a total of eleven adults.

"The big package," jokes Block.

Paediatrician, midwife, emergency doctor and paramedic.

“So the apartment was full.

But we were already done.

They actually just had to pack us up.”

Fiona Josefine lies in her mother's arms.

Under the guidance of the paramedics, Josef Block cuts the umbilical cord, cleans up briefly, throws all the towels into the washing machine.

Then his tears come.

"Of course everything fell off, everything that just happened in the last half hour.

At that point I was done.”

Then it goes straight to the hospital to examine the mother and baby.

"You ahead, the baby behind.

And then I went by car too – nice in a convoy.” Christina Ludwig explains that newborns are specially driven to be better protected during transport.

After checks and examinations, the parents find out that everything is fine.

They inform family and friends that the girl is finally here.

We were totally impatient, and suddenly it went really fast.

Christina Ludwig

Everyone has been excited;

especially because the sweet little baby was a week overdue.

Not least because of this, bets have been running since the beginning of December as to when the baby will be born.

"But then in the end she was so long in coming," says Block.

"We were totally impatient, and suddenly it all happened very quickly," adds Fiona's mom.

Nevertheless, she was deeply relaxed shortly before the birth.

Her boyfriend is said to have told her much earlier to go to the hospital.

But first she wanted to have a cup of coffee.

"I totally underestimated it and was still so relaxed because of that, but when it got so violent so quickly, I actually didn't think about anything anymore." When Fiona's head appears, she lets out: "Oh God!" finally she says: "It couldn't have gone better."

Lightning birth in the living room: "It couldn't have gone better"

In advance, the parents-to-be had agreed to stay at home as long as possible - due to the corona restrictions.

Fathers-to-be are only allowed to go to the clinic after 15 minutes, as soon as the rapid test result is valid.

But a lot can happen in that time, says Block.

"She would have been there almost three times."

While still in the hospital, the family is informed that their daughter does not have to be registered at the registry office in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, as is usually the case, but in Krün, the actual place of birth.

Which later turns out to be a bit more complicated.

"Nobody knew exactly how it works, because it's not every day that a child is born in Krün." After a lot of phone calls, according to Josef Block, it's now in black and white: "Fiona is a real Krüner."

You can read more news from the Garmisch-Partenkirchen region here.

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