NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When a 911 call came in saying a Nashville woman was in sudden labor, emergency operator Kaitlyn Kramer says her training kicked in as she successfully coached the expectant mother and bystanders through the delivery of a healthy baby boy.
Audio from the July 7 call reveals Kramer’s calm voice directing the process even as the voices on the other end became frantic as the mother’s water broke and the baby’s head began to crown.
Kramer is responsible for education for Nashville Department of Emergency Communications.
“No matter what call comes in, you have to be able to stay in control,” Kramer said, adding that she had to remember to stay calm herself.
“We’re going to do this together,” Kramer told a friend of the mother over the phone. Moments later, the caller screams with excitement that the baby is coming but mentions that the cord was wrapped around his neck.
Kramer said bystanders were able to free the child and soon enough, Kramer could hear his first cries over the phone.
“When I think about a first-born, the biggest thing for me is I want to hear them cry,” Kramer said. “And he did it on his own.”
The entire conversation lasted about eight minutes before the ambulance arrived and Kramer got to congratulate the mother and bystanders on a job well done. The family did not respond to a request for an interview.
“I think my favorite part about this whole situation was that there was also another younger child in the room, maybe between seven and 10 years old,” Kramer said. “She started talking to the baby and welcomed him into the world. And it really melted my heart.”
Kramer said this is the second time she has assisted during a delivery over the 911 call.
“We get a lot of grief here. Our job is hard,” Kramer said. “This is one of the reasons that reminds me that what I do is important… it just makes me happy to do what I do.”