Glace Bay woman delivers her own baby on the way to hospital

A Glace Bay, N.S., woman delivered her own baby in an SUV being driven by her fiancé as they were heading to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital last week.

Carrie Poirier told CBC News on Monday that it was frightening in the moment, but she can laugh about it now. She said her newborn son, Zachary, is doing well.

"I went to the hospital earlier that day and they had assessed me and sent me home," said Poirier.

But Poirier's water broke around 5 p.m. She and her fiancé, Eric Simms, began making their way to the hospital.

"And I kind of realized immediately it was an emergency," she said. "We had to get there very quickly."

By the time they passed Cape Breton University, Poirier knew she wasn't going to make it to the hospital.

Keeping baby warm with heated seats

"I was terrified, I was scared — a lot of adrenaline," she said. "But it was just a scary feeling."

Poirier said Simms handled the ordeal well.

"He did amazing," she said. "He was very comforting."

Zachary was born when the couple was about two minutes from the hospital.

"I actually gave birth to him in the front seat of the SUV," Poirier said.

Simms kept driving.

"We had heated car seats," Poirier said, "so I just thought maybe we could keep the baby Zachary warm."

Poirier said Simms went inside to get help once they arrived at the hospital. She said staff noted how calm he was.

'I can't believe I actually did that on my own'

Poirier said looking back on Zachary's birth makes her realize how strong women are.

"I can't believe I actually did that on my own so I was pretty proud of that," she said. "If you start to go into labour in the morning, stay at the hospital instead of going home."