Woman Gives Birth in Own Bathtub After Thinking Hospital Refused Entry to Husband

A New Jersey woman who was told her husband had to wait in the car when she arrived at a hospital because of coronavirus restrictions ended up giving birth in her bathtub at home.

Erin Persia told WPVI she arrived at Virtua Voorhees Hospital only to be told her husband could not be with her.

“They were like, ‘OK your husband has to wait in the car … he can’t come back with you because of everything that’s going on,” she said, according to the station.

However, the hospital says there was a misunderstanding in the April 3 encounter, according to WKXW. The husband would have been allowed in after Persia was actually admitted for treatment.

Thinking she was alone, at first, she tried to tough it out inside the hospital, waiting by herself as the contractions came.

Then they stopped. Between that and the onset of panic, she went outside, joined her husband in the car and they drove back home to Blackwood, New Jersey.

But then, things got very interesting.

The contractions came back. Big time. And it was Erin and her husband, Steve, all alone at home.

“I was already in labor for maybe seven hours. I was like, ‘I can’t do this for very long,’ and as soon as I said that, I felt her move down,” she told WPVI. “He said, ‘Should I call 911?’ And I said, ‘I don’t think there’s time.'”

Persia posted about the experience on her Facebook page.

“So we did a thing today, in our bath tub, just the two of us! Now presenting Amelia Gracelyn Persia. She’s literally perfect,” she posted.

“I’ve never been more proud of myself or my husband. Thank you so so much to my sweet neighbor for coming over on a heart beat when I told her we needed her help and bless my parents heart who showed up just as she was born and helped me through every second after. Big shout out to my dad who went out and bought cake!” she wrote. “We are doing great. And have no clue how big she is. Stay tuned for deets.”

The details emerged later.

“Stats in: 9 pounds 6 Oz About 20 inches long Born at 10:20 ish am,” Persia wrote, adding one more very important detail. “Start to finish 12 hours, pushed for 3 – 5 mins ish” 

In a statement to WPVI, the hospital said it followed procedure.

Women giving birth are allowed to have a companion only after they are actually admitted to the hospital, the statement said.

“Patients are typically alone when they first present at the hospital and are initially assessed and triaged. If the care providers determine the mom-to-be should be admitted, that is when the support person (most often a husband) can join her for labor and delivery,” the statement said.

A spokesman told WKXW that, “We are looking to be a little more explicit with our wording to avoid any confusion in the future.”