Swade William Pearce's welcome to the world was a dramatic one, but his mum Jasmine White is chipper for someone who recently gave birth on the side of the road.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
After waking up at 5am on Monday, she started feeling what she thought might have been contractions.
"They started to get worse, and my partner had a job interview that day so I was like, should we just wait and see?," she said.
"Then I said no, we have to go. They started to get really strong in the car, and I said I didn't think we were going to make it.
"Then my waters broke in the car."
As her partner Dallas Pearce drove towards Wagga from their home in Leeton - Jasmine in the passenger seat and in labour - the couple eventually made the decision to pull over near Sandigo, around 70km away short of their Wagga Base Hospital destination.
IN OTHER NEWS:
They called an ambulance and were guided through the process over the phone while they waited for help to arrive.
"Dallas goes 'his head's coming', then the rest of him, and he was here," she said.
"I was so worried the whole time because I didn't know if he was in a breech position, if he was going to come out feet first, or have something wrapped around his neck. There were so many things going through my head.
"I feel like we both did pretty well considering what was going on ... it was crazy."
Ms White said the people they spoke to on the phone were extremely helpful, guiding them through the process, and reassuring them help was on the way.
She said while it had been a stressful experience, the fact she'd given birth before offered some reassurance.
Swade is doing well and his big brother Archie is settling into his new role.
At this point, she's more worried about the resale value of the car she gave birth in.
"That was the worst part - the clean-up. It's never going to be the same," she said
"My partner had to clean all that up too - it was full on."
She said there was a lesson in her experience for other expecting mothers.
"Listen to your body, and as soon as you start feeling the pain, head straight to hospital," she said.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Download our app from the Apple Store or Google Play
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
Dan Holmes
Dan is a Journalist with the Daily Advertiser in Wagga, covering policy, politics and culture. He is the winner of 2022's Ossie award for domestic and family violence reporting. Tips and pitches to: dan.holmes@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Dan is a Journalist with the Daily Advertiser in Wagga, covering policy, politics and culture. He is the winner of 2022's Ossie award for domestic and family violence reporting. Tips and pitches to: dan.holmes@austcommunitymedia.com.au
