Woman gives birth in car with her four other kids | SWNS

A woman gave birth to her fifth child in the car - with her four other children in the back seat.

Samantha Mysliwiec, 28, and her husband Kelan Mysliwiec, 28, live in an RV and had planned to have a water birth in an apartment they had rented.

Samantha is no stranger to labour and had four unmedicated births prior to this, three in the hospital and one planned homebirth.

The mum-of-five began to feel contractions several days before giving birth.

But on the fifth day, Samantha and her family found themselves rushing to the apartment and during the 15 minute drive, Samantha gave birth.

Samantha, a professional birth doula in Morristown, Tennessee, USA, said: "It was intense and fast but also empowering.

"The speed and location was just different for me.

"I didn’t have time to overthink though. I just listened to my body and let it do what it needed to do.

"It wasn’t the water birth I had planned for but it was still an incredible experience.

"Once I held my son, I just felt a sense of relief and gratitude that he was healthy and safe and finally here, earth-side."

Samantha went into labour nearly a week before giving birth, noting regular and strong contractions as early as November 21.

The contractions subsided once Samantha got into her birthing pool in the RV and remained mild and irregular for the next four days.

But at 3am on the fifth day (Nov 26), Samantha woke up to intense contractions that "felt very different from before. "

She said: "They were coming every two to three minutes so we hurried to pack our four older children into the car and started driving to the apartment by 3:55am.”

Samantha, her husband and their four children drove to the apartment, which was just 15 minutes away.

But as they got close, Samantha told her husband the baby was coming.

Samantha said: "He told me to try to breathe and stay relaxed but I started experiencing what's called the foetal ejection reflex.

"My body started to work to push my baby out on its own."

"Just five minutes from our destination, I felt the ring of fire and my baby started crowning.

"I placed my hand on the top of his head to help guide him as he came out and put my left foot up onto my dashboard.

"With one contraction, his head was out and with the next, he was born right there in the car."

The family then continued the journey to the apartment where Samantha's midwife and birth team were ready and waiting.

Samantha said: "Although it wasn’t the water birth I had envisioned, I’m so grateful for my calm, sweet boy and for the support of my family and midwife through this unexpected but absolutely empowering experience.

"Also, as a doula, I knew what to look for and how to respond, which helped me stay focused and trust my instincts despite the unusual circumstances.

"I wasn’t scared, I didn't feel out of control or unsafe.

"I just felt natural."