Internet users have been left horrified by a video showing the moment a pregnant woman returns home, before leaving the house again 30 minutes later, having already delivered her new baby.
TikTok user @surenamariee shared the video on June 8 that showed her sister's "unmedicated, unplanned home birth." The clip says that the sister was sent home by the hospital while being 5 cm dilated.
While the hospital may have thought that the sister still had a lot of waiting to do before delivering her child, they were all in for a surprise when she had the baby at home around 30 minutes later. Since the clip was posted, it has shocked and amazed many, already receiving over 12 million views and more than 1.1 million likes on TikTok.
The home-security footage shows the woman walking into the house at 2.47 p.m., and her partner begins loading the truck again at 3.08 p.m. as they prepare to make their way back to the hospital. Unfortunately for the couple, however, that wasn't how it played out. Footage shows EMTs and firefighters arriving at 3.15 p.m. and baby Harper was born in the bathroom at home.
In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report that found home births had increased to their highest number for 30 years, as they accounted for more than 51,600 births in 2021. This equated to a 13 percent increase on 2020, which saw 45,600 home births across the country.
With around 1.5 percent of all births in the U.S. occurring at home, it is a preferred choice for some women who wish to avoid hospital settings. Unfortunately for @surenamariee's sister, she didn't choose to deliver her daughter at home, as the baby arrived much sooner than everyone expected.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) doesn't recommend home births, as hospitals or accredited birth centers are the safest places to deliver a child. Despite this standpoint, the AAP does offer guidance for women who wish to consider the option.
Their experts say that two care providers should be present at every delivery, with at least one having the primary responsibility for the newborn. They should also be trained and equipped to perform full resuscitation of the infant, should that be required.
After @surenamariee shared the video of her sister's unexpected home delivery, she later posted updates to reveal that mother and baby are both fine and have even met with the firefighters who helped deliver the baby.
The TikTok user had nothing but praise for her sister, writing alongside the video that her "sister is so strong" to have gone through that experience.
@surenamariee unmedicated, unplanned home birth.. 🫣 my sister is so strong!! 💪🏼💗 #fyp #homebirth #birthstory #foryou
♬ original sound - Surena
More than 18,000 comments have since been posted on the viral video, with many people left disgusted that the sister was sent home in the first place. Other women shared their own nightmare births. One comment reads: "They sent her home!? That's wild."
Another person wrote: "I would be livid at that hospital! Glad it turned out okay for her."
One TikTok user commented: "They sent me home at 5cm as well with my third, ended up having her in my driveway! Hospitals should keep you at 5!"
Newsweek reached out to @surenamariee via TikTok for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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