Oaklawn nurse delivers friend’s baby in car

A family from Spring Arbor welcomed their new bundle of joy to the world inside their 2009 Subaru Forester the evening of Dec. 7. And helping them was Oaklawn Labor and Delivery Nurse Jaydn Comden.

Ian and Megan Fulton were on their way to Oaklawn after Megan’s contractions were just two to three minutes apart. But about 10 minutes into the drive, Megan told Jaydn (her friend for almost a decade) on the phone that they weren’t going to make it to Oaklawn in time.

Jaydn left Oaklawn just after 8 p.m. following her shift, and she was about halfway home to the Jackson area when she heard from Megan.

“Megan told me, ‘I don’t think I’m making it to the hospital,” recalled Jaydn who urged Megan to call 911 or head over to Oaklawn. “I called the unit at Oaklawn to let the nightshift staff know we had a labor that would be coming in fast and furious. I called Megan back and she and Ian had been on the road for 10 minutes. I had just taken the exit past the one they were trying to get to, and I could tell this was going to happen soon. She was yelling through her contractions, so I told Ian to pull over and call 911. I asked where they were, and that I was going to find them. He told me the road they were on (Concord Road) near the railroad tracks. So, I got back on the highway and took the Concord Road exit and was looking for the railroad tracks and sure enough, found their car. And at about the exact time a police officer showed up.”

A moment later the EMTs showed up and Jaydn told Megan that it was time to have her baby.

Megan was in the passenger seat and Jaydn reclined the seat all the way back.

A female paramedic got in the driver seat and Jayden was on the floor in front of Megan.

“I could see the baby,” said Jayden. “The interior lights were on, and we had the heat cranked up so we could stay warm… I told Megan to give a push and it didn’t take much, and she was able to push the baby out. She did amazing.”

Healthy baby girl Ellowyn was born at 8:51 p.m., weighing 6 lbs. 7 oz.

The EMTs had a bulb syringe to help suction the baby, and blankets to cover her and keep her warm.

“Megan was a true rockstar,” said Jaydn. 

Jaydn said, not surprisingly, that the delivery in the car was unlike any she’s ever been a part of.

“I’ve delivered babies quickly here at Oaklawn with all the resources, but it’s a totally different scenario out there,” she said, but noted that she was on the phone with staff at Oaklawn during the delivery. “One co-worker said to me, ‘I listened in until the baby started crying and I knew you had it.’” 

Jaydn came back to Oaklawn to be with her friends to help get them settled in.

“It was very scary and crazy during the delivery,” said Jaydn. “Now looking back, with everything going well, it was probably the most amazing experience of my life.”

Megan, who was due on Saturday, Dec. 9 said that she had experienced some contractions on Wednesday evening and went to Oaklawn the next day for a scheduled appointment.

“We talked with Jaydn while we were there,” said Megan. “Around 6:30 that evening I went on a short walk with a friend. I started feeling something, and I had  a noticeable contraction around 7:10 p.m. I started thinking about timing them. The first two were seven minutes apart and then they were between two and three and a half minutes apart.

Megan and Ian left the house around 8:25 p.m. 

“We just pulled over because she told me she was having this baby right now,” said Ian. “I pulled over and told Jaydn we were on Concord Road near the railroad tracks. I called 911 and told them they were going to have to tell me what to do because nobody else was there.

Five minutes later Jaydn showed up.

“I felt so much better as soon as Jaydn got there,” said Megan, who had a 28-hour labor with her first child. “Jaydn always said she was going to deliver my baby, so that came full circle. And here we are.”

Just as Ellowyn was born, the ambulance rolled up.

Mother, baby and father rode in the ambulance together.

“They asked me which hospital I wanted to go to,” said Megan. “I told the EMT, ‘I have gone to Oaklawn for all my appointments, so we are heading that way.’”

“We told the EMT that this was our first time in an ambulance,” said Ian. “The EMT said, ‘me too.’ We all had a laugh… All the first responders did an amazing job.”

Jaydn said the whole experience was one she will never forget.

“It brought back the miracle of childbirth for me,” said Jaydn. “Doing this every day at the hospital, you get caught up in your routine, but seeing that…I still get emotional. It’s so beautiful to see what women do.”

Oaklawn Labor and Delivery Nurse Jaydn Comden is pictured with friends Ian and Megan Fulton and baby girl Ellowyn.