Woman in labor reveals horrifying ordeal as she and her fiance drove to hospital through Hurricane Ian
MELBOURNE, FLORIDA: A pregnant Florida lady braved severe winds and potentially hazardous flooding to go to a hospital after going into labor during Hurricane Ian. Late on Tuesday night, September 27, Hanna-Kay Williams, 22, of Melbourne, which is roughly 70 miles southeast of Orlando, began to experience labor. There were already strong wind gusts and rainfall in the area before the hurricane arrived and Williams knew she didn't have a choice. She claimed she anticipated giving birth soon and drove to Health First's Holmes Regional Medical Center in risky weather with her mother and fiancé.
Williams told ABC News, "We decided to go to the hospital at 2 a.m. because that's when the contractions really started. I was going in and out because the car was swaying in the wind and the rain was intense, but my fiancé is a great driver so I was in great hands." On Wednesday morning, September 28, they arrived at the hospital, but Williams' birth took a while. While Ian unleashed severe rain and winds of more than 40 mph on the state's central region, she was in labor for more than 20 hours.
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Williams wasn't fully dilated and showed signs of fetal distress, which happens when a fetus experiences changes in heart rate or displays evidence of oxygen deprivation before or during birth, so doctors decided an emergency C-section was required. "It was very clear my cervix not completely dilated and we were not going to have a smooth sail with natural birth. It was a little disappointing because of all the hard physical work that was put in before that, but I knew that I wanted what was best for me and my baby,” Williams added.
After a C-section at 10:11 pm ET, Williams gave birth to a healthy baby girl called Wajiha who weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and measured 20 inches. According to her, the name denotes ‘beautiful woman’ and ‘glorious.’ "I'm going to give all the credit to my fiancé. We were on a journey in finding the most unique name. He picked it. Today, when we look at her and call her name, it's a perfect match,” she noted of the name. The new mother said she and her family are thankful that Wajiha is doing well after the challenging delivery and bad weather.
Williams said, "We came out on top, we definitely did. I felt when she first arrived and they sat her on my lap, the first thing I said was, 'That's a big baby and then I looked at her and thought, 'That's my twin,' even though I already have a fraternal twin." She also thanks the medical team and the nursing staff for helping her maintain her composure throughout the difficult labor and delivery. "I don't think I would have made it through labor as calmly as I did without them," Williams remarked.