Woman gives birth in gridlocked traffic on Valentine's Day

In a heart-stopping sequence of events, a woman found herself delivering her 9lbs 8oz son, Rome, on the way to Singleton Hospital during a chaotic drive through gridlocked traffic.

The story unfolded on Valentine's Day when Freya Flowers, 22, expecting the arrival of her child, experienced her waters breaking at 05:00 GMT.

Her mother rushed to her hospital. Despite the early morning urgency, she was sent back home as the medical staff determined she was not yet in active labour. Little did they know, the situation was about to take an unexpected turn.

Accompanied by her mother, Kim Griffiths, and three-year-old son, River, Freya came back home. However, her condition escalated. 

Around 1:20 in the afternoon, Freya started experiencing intense pain. Kim, recalling the frantic moments, described it as "a drawing, heavy sensation," followed by worsening pain. "We'd got home around 12:30, then by 1:20, Freya was in agony," said Kim.

In a race against time, the trio set out for the hospital, only to get entangled in gridlocked traffic on Fabian Way in Swansea. 

Kim, steering with one hand, honking the horn, and attempting to comfort Freya by assisting her with the other. She described the urgency of the situation, "Love her heart, she was just shouting 'Mam! Honest now, I can't cope with this!'"

Desperation set in as Kim contacted the hospital, desperately trying to find a way through the traffic. 

"I thought there was no way I was going to get there before this baby's born," Kim expressed, realising the imminent birth.

As they neared Singleton Hospital, the situation reached its peak. With no time to spare, Freya delivered baby Rome in the front passenger seat of Kim's Ford Ka. 

Kim, multitasking with astonishing dexterity, ensured the safety of the delivery while navigating through the chaos.

"They put a blanket over the doorway so that nobody could see anything, and then the nurse leaned in to tie and cut his cord, then they wrapped him up," Kim recounted the moments after arriving at the hospital.

Reflecting on the extraordinary experience her daughter went through, Kim expressed pride in her and relief, "I was so proud of her because she'd done so well, love her." 

Despite the initial shock and trauma, both Freya and baby Rome were back home the same day, safe and sound.

"It was so traumatic, unbelievable," said Kim. "Luckily, he came out healthy, and she was okay."

For Freya, it was the crazy and longest journey of her life.