22-year-old Tia Freeman found out she was pregnant only in January - when she was already in her third trimester. She decided that it wasn't going to stop her from going on the trip to Germany in March that she had already planned, because, as she says herself, international flights are expensive.
And so on March 7, Ms Freeman found herself on a flight to Germany to visit her friend Jakob. However, she went into labour during a stopover at Istanbul, Turkey.
Ms Freeman shared her incredible story of how she gave birth to a baby boy alone in a strange land - with some help from YouTube videos - in a Twitter thread that has now gone viral.
Read it below:
I didn't know I was pregnant for awhile (already in my 3rd trimester) and before you ask the birth control I was on made it so I didn't have a cycle every month. So not having a period wasn't an indicator for me. On top of that I didnt really gain any weight.
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 24, 2018
Me when I found: pic.twitter.com/An5QA3hX8A
So I had already purchased tickets for a vacay in Germany and ya girl was not about to waste international flight money. So I was like if the boy comes on time I should be all good in the hood. So I came home for two seconds before hopping on the my flight to Germany. pic.twitter.com/SWYOpatnEN
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 24, 2018
However, after eating salmon during her flight to Germany, Ms Freeman began to experience cramps.
So anyway I make it until we land but when I wake up the cramps have gotten worse and I'm like okay I just want to make it to my hotel. Its my layover and I'm only here (Istanbul, Turkey) for 17hrs. But getting through customs took FOREVVVVVVVERRRRR pic.twitter.com/VUFDhyrCR1
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 24, 2018
I'm literally gripping the railing trying to make it through the lines. At this point I feel like I'm about to pass out. I'm sweating. I feel like I have to vomit. I'm going through it. Then I'm like wait a minute bitch are you in labor?!!! pic.twitter.com/p6SMEfunP0
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 24, 2018
She managed to make it to her hotel room, in spite of severe labour pains
I make it to my hotel & now I'm sure I'm in labor. There is no way in the world I'm not in labor because I can barely standup at this point. So I'm in a foreign country, where no one speaks english, I don't know this country's emergency number, & I have no clue what to do. pic.twitter.com/sk6k10zdu5
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 24, 2018
There, with a little help from YouTube, she decided to deliver her baby herself
So in true millennial form I decided to @Youtube it . If no one else had my back the internet would! So here my ass is in my hotel room all by my lonesome learning how to deliver my own baby pic.twitter.com/v13ZhF6O8h
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 24, 2018
So yo it's GAME TIME. I don't have time to be nervous. It's time to get shit done. I spring into action. Filling up the tub with warm water #WaterBirth, grabbing a towel to bite down on, grabbing another towel to wrap him/her up with whenever it pops out pic.twitter.com/PVu2SWLCiG
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 24, 2018
So the internet said I shouldn't start pushing until my contractions where 2mins apart. Bc you don't want to exhaust yourself too early and then not have any energy when the kids ready to come, you know? And I'm like okay bitch you've got a timer on your phone. You can do this! pic.twitter.com/QSi7iJ4vAx
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 24, 2018
My contractions were already at a minute a part lol I was late as hell. I BARELY made it to my room. so I throw the towel in my mouth and start pushing. And I have NEVVVVEEERRRR felt any pain like this in my life. I felt like I was being split open. WHERE WAS MY EPIDURAL?! pic.twitter.com/HGlootcNHu
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 24, 2018
Luckily it happened pretty quickly. I only had to push about 5-6x before a baby popped out. Lol now let me tell you babies are buoyant. That little joker said bloop and floated right on up to the top of the water pic.twitter.com/IuqwKXFb2L
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 24, 2018
Not only this, she also cut off the umbilical cord on her own after clipping it with sterilized shoe laces!
So I didn't have any clamps like it suggested but what I did have were shoelaces lol. Hear me out . In Turkey everyone drinks tea/coffee so every hotel room had an electric kettle. So I just boiled some water to sterilize the laces so that I could use them as clamps. pic.twitter.com/2vObBQz6eu
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 25, 2018
Okay so it's been a second so I may be a little iffy on the exact details but it went something like this. You're supposed to measure off like 2inches from the stomach and tie one lace and then tie the other inch another inch from there. Now you cut the cord in between. pic.twitter.com/t3EzOHmro2
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 25, 2018
Umbilical cord cut and I did a mighty fine job if I do say so myself ! At this point exhaustion is beginning to set in. But I need to clean up the bathroom because it looked like the set of a horror movie pic.twitter.com/DyvlwXXeQ2
- Tia Freeman (@TheWittleDemon) April 25, 2018
After this incredible birth story, Ms Freeman even cleaned up the bathroom on her own before feeding her baby and going to sleep.
The next day, she headed to the airport to find out how she can leave the country with her newborn baby boy.
After convincing local authorities and Turkish Airlines staff of her story, local media organisations were tipped off and she became headline news in the country, reports the Independent.
Ms Freeman was eventually taken to the US Embassy in Istanbul, where she applied for a birth certificate and passport for her son, whom she named Xavier Ata Freeman. She was then taken to the hospital, and flew back to the US with her son two weeks later.
On Wednesday, it was a friend who first shared Ms Freeman's amazing story on Twitter which shocked many.
The short version:
- Jakob Johnson (@JohnsonJakob) April 25, 2018
My friend Tia was on the way to Germany to visit me.
During her Layover in Istanbul she GAVE BIRTH to a HEALTHY BABY BOY
In a Hotel Room
BY HERSELF
Tied and cut the Umbilical Chord
BY HERSELF
AND WENT TO THE AIRPORT THE NEXT DAY LIKE NOTHING HAPPEND pic.twitter.com/iz6976bjsd
Her story has received much admiration on social media:
This story is amazing, thanks for sharing it and congratulations on your beautiful boy.
- Tiffany Bridge (@tiffany) April 25, 2018
What a great story. Your friend is awesome and the baby is adorable.
- Coretta (@MizCoretta) April 26, 2018
OH MY Goodness. I just spent the last half hour at work reading your story lol. God bless you & young baby Xay!!
- Kristi Cruz (@s_wissy) April 25, 2018
The woman said the entire experience has taught her a lot.
"I learned how to be resourceful and calm under pressure. I was able to bond one on one with my son from his first breaths," said Ms Freeman to the Independent.
"I'm thankful that everything went well and I was able to deliver a healthy baby."
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