BookmarkBookmarkTickBookmarkAddCheckBoxFilledCheckBoxCircleBumpCheckedFilledMedical

Two Doulas Help Dad Deliver Baby via Facebook During Buffalo Blizzard

The off-duty doulas coached the nervous parents-to-be through the birth of their firstborn via video chat after they were unable to get to the hospital.
save article
profile picture of Wyndi Kappes
By Wyndi Kappes, Associate Editor
Published December 29, 2022
Two people in snowstorm
Image: Getty Images/ Mahmud013

Doulas to the rescue! One set of Buffalo parents safely delivered their firstborn daughter, Devynn Brielle Thomas, at home thanks to the virtual efforts of two off-duty doulas on Christmas Eve. Davon and Erica Thomas were snowed in their home due to winter storm Elliot when mom-to-be Erica unexpectedly went into labor.

Davon called 911 repeatedly but was told by the dispatchers they could not send anybody out in the storm. And by 11:30 a.m., Erica’s contractions were three minutes apart. “At that point, I was like: ‘This is going to be me. I’m going to have to put my big boy pants on and figure this out,’" Davon told The Buffalo News.

With the help of a friend, the first-time Dad got in touch with a Facebook group of fellow Buffalo residents weathering the storm who directed him to doulas Iva Michelle and Raymonda Reynolds. Blackburn was wrapping presents and watching the Buffalo Bills NFL game with her family when she got the call from Reynolds.

“We were using Facebook Messenger to communicate with her parents and coached them through the delivery, so I watched her being delivered on my cellphone," Blackburn told NBC News.

After being instructed to collect towels, find a bowl, and boil some water, the doulas told Davon to help his wife take a hot shower to ease her labor pain and “to get the gravity going,” Blackburn said. “Most importantly, Raye had calmed him down,” Blackburn said of Davon. “He was very nervous, but he was very open and he was listening carefully and following instructions.”

When Erica’s contractions started getting more intense, Blackburn and Reynolds directed Davon to get a flashlight so they could see how she was progressing. Soon enough, Erica squatted down and when the baby came out, Davon was there to catch his newborn daughter in his arms.

“At first mom and dad looked like they were both in shock and the baby looked like she was in shock, too, because she was alert but not crying,” Blackburn said. “But as soon as they picked her up, she started crying…I was in my living room with my mother and my kids while all this was happening. And when that baby started crying, we all started cheering. You would have thought the Bills made a touchdown,” Blackburn recalled.

New dad Davon reports that both mom and baby are happy and healthy. “We’re all OK, thanks to them,” he told NBC News. Davon had nothing but praise for Blackburn, Reynolds and the aptly named truck driver Angel Lugo, who drove them to the hospital after the birth. He even praised Facebook for the part it played in his little girl’s birth.

“Twenty years ago we had no video chat,” he told The Buffalo News. “And even though Facebook can be messy sometimes, it’s amazing what we can do when it’s time to help somebody.”

save article
Article removed.
Name added. View Your List
ADVERTISEMENT

Next on Your Reading List

New baby after a home birth.
What Is a Midwife?
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
Doula helping pregnant woman.
How a Doula Can Improve Your Labor and Postpartum Experiences
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
illustration of doula helping pregnant woman through labor
Report: Why Doulas Are Burning Out and What We Can Do to Support Them
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
doula helping pregnant person
​​Why Access to Doulas Is So Important for Black Birthing People
By Ashlee Neuman
Gina Rodriguez and Joe Locicero attend the 2019 Baby2Baby Gala presented by Paul Mitchell at 3LABS on November 09, 2019 in Culver City, California
Gina Rodriguez's Husband Is Training to Be Her Doula
By Wyndi Kappes
Why I Hired A Doula
Why I Hired A Doula
By Jayne Heinrich
globe representing midwifery around the world
A Glimpse at Midwifery Around the World
By Joanne Chen
ADVERTISEMENT
nurse mid-wife assisting in delivery of baby
Take It From Me: Here’s What Midwifery Is Really All About
By Rebekah Wheeler
5 Reasons to Consider Getting a Doula
5 Reasons to Consider Getting a Doula
By Latham Thomas
The Difference Between a Midwife and a Doula
The Difference Between a Midwife and a Doula
By The Bump Editors
ADVERTISEMENT
Your Baby Is 45 Weeks Old!
Your Baby Is 45 Weeks Old!
By The Bump Editors
Bumpie Tip of the Week: Midwife Vs. OB?
Bumpie Tip of the Week: Midwife Vs. OB?
By JM
Should More Moms-to-Be Use Midwives?
Should More Moms-to-Be Use Midwives?
By Kylie McConville
ADVERTISEMENT
pregnant woman holding a tub of lotion
Can You Use Vicks While Pregnant? (What About Other Vapor Rubs?)
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
pregnant woman holding glass of water and two white pills
A List of Over-the-Counter Medications You Can Take While Pregnant
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
doctor checking pregnant woman's blood pressure
1 in 3 Counties Don't Have a Single Obstetrician, Report Shows
By Wyndi Kappes
pregnant woman taking supplement
Probiotics During Pregnancy Could Help Mom and Baby, Study Suggests
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
pregnant woman talking to doctor
Viral Video: What to Say if a Doctor Dismisses Your Pregnancy Concerns
By Wyndi Kappes
mother giving newborn baby a bottle while sitting on hospital bed after labor and delivery
Fetal Viability: When Can Baby Survive Outside the Womb?
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
pregnant woman looking at ultrasound photo of baby in womb
How Do Babies Breathe in the Womb?
Medically Reviewed by Kendra Segura, MD
ADVERTISEMENT
Article removed.