Lots of grandmas like to joke that being a grandparent is like having a baby with all the perks and none of the downsides.
Of course, they usually help out a lot right after the baby is born, and they expect to be involved as the new bundle of joy settles into the family. But for the most part, grand-parenting is a pretty relaxed gig.
That is, unless you’re Karen Goodhue, and you find yourself having a slightly more hands-on role at your grandson’s birth than you anticipated. In fact, ‘hands-on’ might be too mild a way of phrasing it.
Karen Goodhue actually delivered her newest grandchild after her daughter Melissa Dowling went into labor at home, much like this super-mom. The baby boy is Melissa’s second child, and Goodhue’s eleventh grandchild.
While Goodhue planned to be in the delivery room at the hospital to give her daughter moral support, she never anticipated her active role. When Melissa’s water broke in the shower, her mom was on-hand to drive her to hospital.
Dowling called her partner Ryan Rhone at work to let him know that the baby was on the way, but says she knew right away that they wouldn’t make it to the hospital. According to Goodhue, “She started screaming and hollering, and the next thing I know, her feet were on my dash, legs open.”
They drove less than a mile before pulling over on the side of the Cypress Garden Blvd. in Polk County, FL. At this point, Goodhue accessed her inner midwife, and took charge.
“Ran around to the other side of the car and grabbed a blanket, we went from there. She said pull him out and I said no, we just got to push, so she pushed one more time and he came right out.”
By the time EMTs arrived, Karen had a happy and healthy new grandson. And when Ryan got to the hospital, he was able to meet his youngest son straight away!
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