Dad delivers first twin in couple's home
According to their birth certificates, Max Meliker was born at 1:03 a.m. on Sunday and his twin sister, Molly, arrived a few minutes later at 1:14 a.m.
But really, it's anyone's guess.
When the twins entered the world, there wasn't a nurse on hand to record the time. There weren't infant warmers or scales. There wasn't even a doctor.
But there were two quick-thinking, coolheaded parents, and in the end that's all little Max and Molly needed.
After Amy Meliker experienced two short but strong contractions at their Buffalo Grove home — and before the paramedics arrived — her husband delivered Max on the couple's bathroom floor, with the baby's umbilical cord wrapped around his shoulder. The paramedics arrived in time to help Molly into the world.
“I was more embarrassed than anything. It wasn't even the master bathroom,” said Amy from her hospital room at Advocate Condell Medical Center on Tuesday. Her husband smiled by her side.
“It was the best catch I ever made,” Matthew said.
Both babies are healthy. Molly weighed in at four pounds, nine ounces and Max, five pounds, nine ounces. Once they're discharged from the hospital, they'll join big sisters Mandy, 6 and Samantha, 4, who slept through all of Sunday's commotion.
It started when Amy woke up in pain early Sunday. She was ready to go to the hospital. At 36 weeks pregnant, the babies were almost full term and Amy had a history of short labors. Mandy was born after only four hours of labor, and Samantha arrived after only an hour or two.
“I told Matt to call his parents and I went to the bathroom,” Amy said. “That's when I felt this intense pressure and screamed.”
Matt, already on his way to the bathroom to brush this teeth, pushed the door open to find Amy doubled over.
A few minutes or seconds later, Max arrived. At some point Matthew called 911. It's all a little foggy.
“I saw the baby's head crown and out he came,” Matthew said. “The baby seemed great, but I was a little freaked out. I mean, we didn't have that blue syringe thing nurses use. I was worried about that. But then he started crying and I knew he was OK.”
Around that time, about 15 paramedics came rushing through the couple's front door — just in time to help Amy deliver Molly.
Then it was off to the hospital. When they arrived at Condell, a nurse asked who delivered the babies and Matt jokingly responded, “Dr. Meliker.”
“We found out later she looked for a ‘Dr. Meliker' online for like 15 minutes until someone told her what happened,” he said.
Amy is scheduled to leave the hospital on Tuesday night. The babies will be observed for a day or two before being discharged. The Melikers moved from Itasca to Buffalo Grove two weeks ago and are looking forward to seeing what it's like to be a family of six.
“I was amazed. This is the first day I can talk about it without getting emotional,” Matthew said. “Amy is so level-headed. She was so calm through the whole thing. I just hope we're not known as the neighbors who have babies on their bathroom floor.”