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Baby girl born on interstate
By Kathy Crawford
Smithville resident Cara Massie woke up just after midnight on April 30 and knew immediately it was time to go to the hospital. She was well into the throes of labor, even though she was about 10 days early.
Her husband, Tom Massie, felt a sense of urgency as soon as his wife woke him to tell him it was time. After all, she had given birth twice already to their two sons, 6-year-old Jack and 4-year-old Carter. He trusted that she knew labor and delivery well by now.
“Both of the boys were quick deliveries, but we were at the hospital,” Cara said.
Baby McKinley Massie had other plans that night.
Cara said this had been a “tricky pregnancy” from early on. Her doctor put her on modified bed rest when she was five-months pregnant. Then she went into premature labor at 28 weeks. The doctors stopped the labor, but they ordered her to full bed rest for the last eight weeks.
Cara’s mom was soon at the house to watch the boys. They called the doctor and were supposed to wait until he called back, but Cara was afraid she was running out of time, so they headed for North Kansas City Hospital.
“I felt like I was holding back a freight train,” Cara said.
As they headed out of Smithville, Tom said he was speeding, but not dangerously so. He reasoned that getting stopped would have been a good thing. At least then he would have an escort.
“Tom is giving me a countdown about how long it will take to get to the hospital,” she said.
As he was counting down the estimated time of arrival, Cara told him that he needed to call 911 — she could feel the baby’s head.
“I couldn’t call 911 because I was driving too fast,” Tom said.
Weighing the risk of the dark highway against his wife’s insistence that the baby was coming, Tom pulled over at Interstate 29 and North Oak Trafficway. Thirty to 60 seconds after he opened the passenger-side door, McKinley was born and in his arms. He looked at his daughter for a moment, gave her to mom and then called 911. Cara cleared McKinley’s mouth and then flicked her on her feet.
“She cried immediately and turned pink,” she said. “But she was cold.”
In the hurry to leave the house, they forgot to bring the baby’s bag, which had a suction bulb, a blanket and other useful things that would have come in handy at a time like this. Tom said he was trying to remain calm for Cara while carrying out the dispatcher’s instructions.
“I tore off one of Cara’s shoestrings and tied off the umbilical cord,” he said.
The dispatcher said he needed something to keep McKinley warm. Tom remembered his golf bag in the trunk, so he used a clean polo shirt to warm her. When he didn’t feel that was enough, he also wrapped her in his windbreaker from the bag.
The dispatcher made Tom, who was trying to hide his anxiousness from his wife, stay on the phone while waiting for emergency vehicles. A Missouri Highway Patrol Trooper pulled over behind them and Tom thought help had arrived. He was surprised when the trooper asked if they were having car trouble.
“No, my wife just had a baby in the car,” Tom said. After looking in on mom and baby, the trooper congratulated Tom.
A fire truck arrived with three or four firefighters, followed by an ambulance. Tom said he just wanted to get to the hospital, but everything was moving in slow motion.
“Nobody had any sense of urgency,” Tom said. “I kept saying, ‘Let’s go.’”
They finally did get Cara and McKinley out of the car and asked Tom if he wanted to cut the umbilical cord.
“I delivered the baby, so I don’t need to cut the cord,” Tom told them.
Tom said that they’ve never had time to thank everyone involved in McKinley’s birth, but they wanted to. McKinley is a happy, easy-going baby now at just over two months old.
In case of emergency:
Dr. Chad Surratt who is an emergency room physician at North Kansas City Hospital, suggests that expecting parents bring the following items on their trip to hospital in case of emergency:
- At least two blankets, one for the baby and one for mom
- Washcloth for baby
- Suction device
- Hand sanitizer
- One or two plastic clips
He also had the following advice:
- If the baby isn’t going to wait until arrival at the hospital, pull the car over and have the mother lie down.
n Call 911. The dispatcher will be able to help you through the delivery until the ambulance arrives.
- Use the suction device for the nostrils and the mouth as the baby is coming through the birth canal.
- Stimulate the baby’s feet or back until he or she cries and is breathing.
- Place one or two plastic clips on the umbilical cord to stop negative blood flow back through the cord.
- If the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck, gently loosen it and pull it over the baby’s head.
Staff writer Kathy Crawford can be reached at 532-444 or kathycrawford@npgco.com.
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Her husband, Tom Massie, felt a sense of urgency as soon as his wife woke him to tell him it was time. After all, she had given birth twice already to their two sons, 6-year-old Jack and 4-year-old Carter. He trusted that she knew labor and delivery well by now.
“Both of the boys were quick deliveries, but we were at the hospital,” Cara said.
Baby McKinley Massie had other plans that night.
Cara said this had been a “tricky pregnancy” from early on. Her doctor put her on modified bed rest when she was five-months pregnant. Then she went into premature labor at 28 weeks. The doctors stopped the labor, but they ordered her to full bed rest for the last eight weeks.
Cara’s mom was soon at the house to watch the boys. They called the doctor and were supposed to wait until he called back, but Cara was afraid she was running out of time, so they headed for North Kansas City Hospital.
“I felt like I was holding back a freight train,” Cara said.
As they headed out of Smithville, Tom said he was speeding, but not dangerously so. He reasoned that getting stopped would have been a good thing. At least then he would have an escort.
“Tom is giving me a countdown about how long it will take to get to the hospital,” she said.
As he was counting down the estimated time of arrival, Cara told him that he needed to call 911 — she could feel the baby’s head.
“I couldn’t call 911 because I was driving too fast,” Tom said.
Weighing the risk of the dark highway against his wife’s insistence that the baby was coming, Tom pulled over at Interstate 29 and North Oak Trafficway. Thirty to 60 seconds after he opened the passenger-side door, McKinley was born and in his arms. He looked at his daughter for a moment, gave her to mom and then called 911. Cara cleared McKinley’s mouth and then flicked her on her feet.
“She cried immediately and turned pink,” she said. “But she was cold.”
In the hurry to leave the house, they forgot to bring the baby’s bag, which had a suction bulb, a blanket and other useful things that would have come in handy at a time like this. Tom said he was trying to remain calm for Cara while carrying out the dispatcher’s instructions.
“I tore off one of Cara’s shoestrings and tied off the umbilical cord,” he said.
The dispatcher said he needed something to keep McKinley warm. Tom remembered his golf bag in the trunk, so he used a clean polo shirt to warm her. When he didn’t feel that was enough, he also wrapped her in his windbreaker from the bag.
The dispatcher made Tom, who was trying to hide his anxiousness from his wife, stay on the phone while waiting for emergency vehicles. A Missouri Highway Patrol Trooper pulled over behind them and Tom thought help had arrived. He was surprised when the trooper asked if they were having car trouble.
“No, my wife just had a baby in the car,” Tom said. After looking in on mom and baby, the trooper congratulated Tom.
A fire truck arrived with three or four firefighters, followed by an ambulance. Tom said he just wanted to get to the hospital, but everything was moving in slow motion.
“Nobody had any sense of urgency,” Tom said. “I kept saying, ‘Let’s go.’”
They finally did get Cara and McKinley out of the car and asked Tom if he wanted to cut the umbilical cord.
“I delivered the baby, so I don’t need to cut the cord,” Tom told them.
Tom said that they’ve never had time to thank everyone involved in McKinley’s birth, but they wanted to. McKinley is a happy, easy-going baby now at just over two months old.
In case of emergency:
Dr. Chad Surratt who is an emergency room physician at North Kansas City Hospital, suggests that expecting parents bring the following items on their trip to hospital in case of emergency:
- At least two blankets, one for the baby and one for mom
- Washcloth for baby
- Suction device
- Hand sanitizer
- One or two plastic clips
He also had the following advice:
- If the baby isn’t going to wait until arrival at the hospital, pull the car over and have the mother lie down.
n Call 911. The dispatcher will be able to help you through the delivery until the ambulance arrives.
- Use the suction device for the nostrils and the mouth as the baby is coming through the birth canal.
- Stimulate the baby’s feet or back until he or she cries and is breathing.
- Place one or two plastic clips on the umbilical cord to stop negative blood flow back through the cord.
- If the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck, gently loosen it and pull it over the baby’s head.
Staff writer Kathy Crawford can be reached at 532-444 or kathycrawford@npgco.com.