A Melbourne gym unexpectedly became a birthing suite when a local mum suddenly went into labour.
The Melbourne mum Rachel Eastwood had planned to head straight to hospital on July 29, but quickly realised “by the end of the street … we weren’t going to make it,”
“(We) started problem solving around what our options were,” Eastwood told 7NEWS.
Her husband Peter immediately rang their midwife and explained they would be delivering their baby boy at Strong and Stable at The Basin, the closest and safest option.
“Being members of the gym, Pete thought … well there’s a room that has towels, heating. That’s probably a much better option than the side of the road,” Eastwood said.
The gym’s owner quickly offered them a room with a bed, while midwife Sharon Williams guided the birth over the phone.
Williams said her instincts took over.
“You just want (mum) to be safe, her baby to be safe,” she said.
“It was great. We had privacy, we had a room that was warm, lots of towels. So it all worked really well.”
Within just 10 minutes, little Daniel had arrived, beating even the paramedics to the gym.
The healthy newborn, now one of four brothers, was taken to hospital with his parents and discharged later that night.
This week, the family reunited with the gym staff and midwife who helped bring their son safely into the world.
Images: 7NEWS
