Woman Drives 35 Minutes to Hospital After Contractions Start, Ends Up Giving Birth in Her Car (Exclusive)

Jaycee Rolf gave birth to her second child, Frances Louise, on March 2

• Jaycee Rolf always knew she wanted to labor at home, but after she began experiencing contractions every 3 to 5 minutes without her water breaking, she decided to go to the hospital

• Rolf, her husband, their doula and Rolf's mom got into their Ford Explorer and drove the 35 minutes to the hospital

• While in the car, Rolf felt the baby moving down the birth canal and begin to crown

• As the car pulled under the hospital awning and came to a stop, the baby's head was delivered

Jaycee Rolf always knew she wanted to have a natural at labor at home in Alabama. But, on March 2, when the family nurse practitioner began experiencing contractions every 3 to 5 minutes, she decided to go to the hospital, even though her water hadn’t broken.

Rolf, her husband, their doula and Rolf's mom got into their white Ford Explorer and drove the 35 minutes to the hospital.

For the first 10 minutes of the drive, Rolf, who is also a mom to a 2-year-old daughter, didn’t experience any contractions. But as the drive continued, and she sat in the backseat with her doula, she experienced about three or four intense contractions.

Then, about 15 minutes from the hospital, while the car was still moving, Rolf felt the baby moving down the birth canal. "There was a moment of slight panic when I felt her begin to crown and realized I would likely have to deliver her in the car," Rolf, 26, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

"My husband and my mother were giggling with nervous energy," she adds. "I was so focused on the moment that I didn’t notice their reaction until later. We were chatting until I realized I was about to give birth, but they were very supportive."

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As the car pulled under the hospital awning and came to a stop, the baby's head was delivered. Rolf's husband, Daniel, 27, ran inside to alert the staff — who were actually her colleagues at the ER at the time. As soon as he came back and opened the car door, the rest of the baby’s body emerged.
During the birth, Rolf's doula placed a pillow over the center console in the back, and the baby was delivered onto a "bougie blanket" in the backseat, the new mom shares.

"Most people think it was a terrible situation, but honestly, once we removed the pillow, the cleanup was minimal," Rolf says.

"Thankfully, I had no complications with either of my pregnancy. I did hire a doula and used an OB-GYN, and so just really just a smooth, uncomplicated pregnancy and then just planned natural delivery that kind of took a turn," she adds.

After giving birth to her now 6-month-old daughter, Frances Louise, Rolf was transported to the labor and delivery floor, where she delivered the placenta and had a routine post-care exam. She and her husband stayed in the hospital for 24 hours before being released.

Looking back, Rolf says the most challenging part of the situation was accepting that she would give birth in the car. "There was nothing I could do; she was coming, and I had to accept that this was the course set for me," Rolf says. "The hardest part was that last-minute realization of, 'Oh my goodness, this is really happening.' "

"My husband was actually worried," she adds. "He told me that morning, 'If you have this baby in the car, I’m scared I’m going to throw up,' but he did great."

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In July, Rolf was inspired to share her car delivery experience on TikTok. Her video quickly went viral, garnering more than 5 million views and 2,200 comments. She noticed many viewers were curious about her baby's name and even suggested car-themed monikers like Carly, Ford and Mercedes.

"I still laugh at the name suggestions," Rolf says. "Honestly, I almost considered using one of those names for her middle name. But her name is Frances Louise, and in the video, you can hear my doula say, 'Geez Louise,' which is a Southern saying we use all the time. People have noticed and commented on it, and I think it’s fitting."

Rolf has already thought about how she will share the birth story with Frances someday.

"When she’s old enough to understand, I’ll tell her the fun fact that she was born in the car," Rolf says.

Until then, Rolf is excited to cherish every moment with her two girls. "It's wild," she admits. "Sometimes I get a little PTSD when I glance at the backseat and think, 'Wow, I gave birth right there.' My husband and I just laughed the whole way home, amazed that it actually happened."

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