Woman gives birth in shower to 'Miracle'

Brittany Young thought nothing of her stomach pains Wednesday morning; she was only 12 weeks pregnant, or so she believed.

She took some Tylenol, lay down for a while at her apartment on King Avenue, and the pain went away. Around 9:45 p.m., the pain came back, so she went to the bathroom.

"I got in the shower, not even five minutes after that, I was like, my stomach is still hurting. Not even five seconds (later), I had to push," the 24-year-old said.

With little warning, out popped her Miracle at 19 inches, weighing 6 pounds and 8 ounces.

"This baby's eyes were open; she was just sitting there staring at me. She didn't cry or anything," Young said. "I was in shock. I was like, there's a baby here."

Young yelled to a friend in the living room to call for an ambulance. Des Moines police and medics arrived to find Young's friend holding the baby, umbilical cord still attached, while Young was sitting dazed in the shower, according to a police report.

They cut the cord, wrapped the healthy little girl in blankets and took mother and child to Mercy Medical Center.

"Everybody I tell this story to they're just like, a miracle," she said. "And I'm like, yeah, that'd be a perfect name for her."

Dr. Michael Cardwell, a perinatologist at Mercy, said some women have a medical condition called precipitous labor where contractions can start within an hour or two before they deliver the baby. Body weight can hide a pregnancy, and stress can speed up a birth, he said.

Cardwell didn't personally treat Young but, knowing it was her fourth baby, said women can go into labor quickly after that many births.

"For women with three prior pregnancies, labor is pretty quick anyway. Sounds like hers was even quicker," Cardwell said.

Young said she moved herself and three children from Jolliet, Ill., in December to escape a troubled family life. She checked in to a Des Moines hospital in January with a broken nose and the doctors asked if she was pregnant.

The pregnancy test came back positive and after an ultrasound, Young heard the technician say "12 weeks." Young thinks she must have misunderstood, thinking she was 12 weeks into her pregnancy instead of having 12 weeks remaining.

She said her medical paperwork reads simply, "12 weeks," and she didn't see the image of the baby on the ultrasound.

"I've been in shock for the last couple of days, because I didn't expect a full-term baby," Young said.

She was in labor for 15 hours for the birth of her now 1-year-old daughter, Jahanna Porter. Her other children, Andre Jones, 4; and Nijaya Young, 2; are excited about their new sister, Young said.

"With my other kids, I had like three or four pushes. And with her it was just one and she was there," Young said. "I wasn't prepared for her. ... I don't have clothes. Diapers. Nothing."

Young has tattoos of all of her children's names and said Miracle's name will likely go on her back, accompanied by angel wings.

"I'm happy that she's here," said Young.

HOW TO HELP

Bethany Christian Services Stronger Beginnings is assisting Brittany Young with diapers and other items to care for a newborn. Anyone willing to donate may contact the program at 316 East Sixth Ave. or call 515-270-0824.