‘God has a way of having the baby arrive when it’s time, no matter what the circumstance,? said Amy Hernandez of Independence Township. ‘Every birth is pretty amazing and each birth has its own story.?
She should know.
Friday, July 6, the weather was dark and stormy, knocking the power out. Amy decided it was time to wake her husband, Dave, at 2:20 a.m. due to severe contractions. She told him to call his dad so they could drop their daughter Avelynn off at his house on the way to the hospital.
‘You better call 911 and your dad back and tell him to come get Ava now, because we aren’t going to make it.? she told her husband in a panicked voice.
In the meantime, Amy thought that she had to go to the bathroom. When she sat down, her water broke.
‘She started screaming ‘the baby has fallen in the toliet and you need to come fish her out,?? Dave recalled.
‘It felt like the baby had come out with the water,? said Amy.
While Amy was fishing around in the toliet for the baby, Dave went and grabbed his head lamp so that he could see because of the power outage. After realizing there was no baby in the toilet, Dave ran to the front door to flash down police and EMS.
As Dave ran to the front door, Amy got down on her hands and knees and the baby’s head came out.
‘I started screaming her head’s out, her head’s out,? said Amy
Dave didn’t quite believe her at first because she had just been wrong about the baby being in the toliet.
‘He flung the door open and nailed me in the head. He said ‘you got to crawl forward, I can’t get into the bathroom,?? said Amy.
After Amy crawled forward and Dave was able to get into the bathroom, the light shined right on the baby’s head.
‘As I turned my head the light is shining on her (the baby’s) face and it’s looking up,? said Dave. ‘Then one of the police officers that followed me in was panicky at that point and said ‘you’ve got to push.??
They grabbed what towels were in the bathroom and with one big push the baby came out.
‘She came out so fast he (Dave) almost dropped her,? said Amy.
It was at that time they saw EMS lights coming down the road and when they ran in, they realized they needed more towels, so ‘nurse? Avelynn, the couple’s 3-year-old daighter, took them upstairs to get more towels.
‘I just kind of held her, the baby head down and rubbed her back to try and hopefully get some of the fluids out, and then the EMS came and wrapped her up,? said Dave.
‘Finally she screamed, and cried one good wail,? he said.
It was then that they loaded both Amy and the baby into the ambulance and drove them to the hospital.
Ellery Susan Hernandez was born at 2:35 a.m., seven minutes after 911 was called, and weighed six pounds, 12 ounces.
‘All of our family and friends keep calling her ‘Latrina,?? said Amy with a laugh. ‘Latrine? is the French word for toliet.
Amy and Dave are thankful this was their fourth child instead of their first. It might have been a little rougher the first time around.
‘It’s unique delivering your own, I went into panic mode for a few, but it’s something I will never forget,? said ‘Doctor Dave.?
Amy had gone to the hospital three times previously, but each time the doctor sent her home telling her that she was not dilated enough and her contractions were not close enough together.
‘They were going to induce me into labor one of the times,? said Amy, ‘but St Joe’s did not have enough staff on hand to do it.?
Little ‘nurse Ava? stood at the bathroom door and watched the whole thing take place, noted Amy and Dave.
‘Baby born in the bathroom, then come out of toilet,? said 3-year-old Avelynn.
‘The story is pretty amazing,? said 8-year-old JT.