Recently, TikToker Shelbee (@bombshelbee.ntx) gave birth to two twin boys in her car while her husband’s grandma was driving her to the hospital. So, at the time, they had been camping at the lake for Memorial Day weekend.
Shelbee wasn’t overheated or doing any strenuous activities. She hadn’t been having any contractions, either. But on Saturday morning, when she woke up to cook breakfast for her kids, she was feeling pain in her ligaments and experiencing some cramping.
After a few hours, she felt fine, and they all went out to lunch at a restaurant with a lake view. She ordered nachos and ate about five or six chips before she started feeling awful. At first, she thought it was food poisoning.
Later, she took a shower, but the cramps only got worse. About five minutes into the shower, she told her husband that she needed to go to the hospital.
He stayed with the kids while his grandma drove her to the hospital 20 miles away. They were unaware that the hospital did not have a labor and delivery unit.
When Shelbee and her husband’s grandma hit the main road, she was having contractions that were three minutes apart. She was screaming in pain and informed her husband’s grandma that she would be giving birth in the car. There was just no other option.
“Right that instant, baby A made his appearance,” said Shelbee. “My shorts caught him because I’m sitting in the front seat. I am in shock. I just pick him up, and I’m cleaning him off really well.”
Then, she started getting worried. The doctors had told her that she was supposed to have a C-section because of baby B. The second baby had a short umbilical cord that wasn’t fully developed or inserted into the placenta properly.
So, if Shelbee had a natural birth, the odds for his survival weren’t the best.
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Five minutes later, baby B made his appearance. She caught him while holding baby A to her chest. Baby B was fully intact. At first, she didn’t see any movement from baby B, but then, he started crying.
They finally got hold of emergency services and were advised to pull over at a corner gas station. An ambulance pulled up 30 minutes later. That was when the placenta came out. The paramedics cut the cords and praised Shelbee for doing everything right.
They took her to the nearest hospital with a labor and delivery unit, which was 45 minutes to an hour away. At the hospital, she was assessed by a nurse.
The babies were put on oxygen because they came out early, at 31 weeks and two days. The babies were actually flown to Oklahoma City for care.
Once she was discharged from the hospital, she traveled to meet the babies. Then, she started hemorrhaging, so she was admitted to the hospital again.
Baby A was 18 inches long and weighed four pounds and four ounces. Baby B was 17 inches long and weighed three pounds and 15 ounces.
They are now breathing fine on their own. Their body temperatures and blood sugar levels are regulated as well.
“We’re still not out of the woods yet, of course,” said Shelbee. “So, they said we’re looking at a few more weeks here. But they are much bigger than they expected and much healthier than they expected, so I’m super thankful for that.”
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
