Doctor goes into labor while delivering patient's baby
"I was freaking out a little bit," Dr. Emily Jacobs told ABC News.
— -- A pregnant doctor unexpectedly went into early labor while delivering another woman's child.
Hours later on July 28, Emily Jacobs, a 28-year-old OB-GYN resident at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, welcomed a baby boy, Jett Jacobs.
"I noticed what I thought was amniotic fluid of the patient as the baby was delivering," Jacobs told ABC News. "It wasn't until I left the room when I realized that it was my water that had broken."
"I was freaking out a little bit because we were still seeing patients and [my supervisor] just kind of smiled and told me to go back in one of the triage rooms and wait for her to confirm that it was my water."
Jacobs’ colleague, Keely Ulmer, MD, was “shocked” to learn her fellow doctor had gone into labor a month early.
"I happened to be on Labor and Delivery, so it was a pretty special experience to share with a special classmate," said Ulmer, 28, who helped deliver Jacobs' child. "She did a wonderful job and her husband was very supportive. I am grateful to be part of the experience."
A first-time mom, Jacobs believes her unique birth story has made her a better doctor who is "more understanding" of her expectant patients, she said.
"It's definitely made me more empathetic and more aware of what it's like going through some pregnancy complications," she added. "People will come in [who are] in preterm labor often ... very worried about the health of their baby and health of themselves. Until [I went] through it, I can definitely appreciate just how worried and nervous you get."
Now at 7 weeks old, baby Jett is home, happy and "doing well," Jacobs said.