Fire crews assisted the mom with the emergency delivery of her baby. Photo courtesy Springfield Fire Chief
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — During a time of panic buying and store closures amid the coronavirus pandemic, one Walmart store in Springfield had some joyful news when a woman gave birth to a baby girl in the store.
Store manager Jessica Hinkle said the woman told employees on Wednesday that her water broke and she was about to go into labor in the toilet paper aisle of the store. The woman's name was not released.
Hinkle held up a sheet for privacy while a labor nurse who happened to be in the store and firefighters helped the woman deliver her baby in just 45 minutes.
"(I'm) not like the best with blood so that was my job, holding the sheet and crowd control making sure that nobody invaded what privacy the poor lady still had," Hinkle said.
Customers encouraged the woman throughout the birth and cheered as she and the baby were taken away to an ambulance.
"You know a feel good moment, everybody's going through so much and with a baby it's like everything comes full circle," Hinkle said.
Hinkle said she contacted the woman Thursday and both mom and baby are doing well.