Postpartum mom smiling inside ambulance alongside husband and newborn

I Delivered My Newborn Baby Inside A Chick-fil-A Bathroom

More Stories like:

LJ Herman: Jul 20, 2018Updated: Sep 13, 2023

“Last night, I delivered our baby girl IN THE BATHROOM at a CHICK-FIL-A! Here’s what happened.

Maggie and I loaded up the car last night to go to the hospital for delivery, and we were dropping off our daughters with a friend who was meeting us at Chick-Fil-A to pick them up.

By the time we got to the restaurant, Maggie was in active labor and said she REALLY had to go to the bathroom. But it was after 10 p.m. and Chick-Fil-A was closed.

After banging on the glass, the staff answered the door and let Maggie in. I loaded the kids into our friend’s car, kissed them goodnight, and went in to find Maggie. The manager said, ‘She’s in the restroom and she’s screaming.’

So, there we were…my wife and I in a tiny stall in the bathroom, and I could see the top of our little girl’s head crowning as Maggie was straddling the toilet. I told Maggie, ‘Sweetie, we are gonna have to do this right here, right now.’

After shouting to the manager to call 911 and to bring any clean towels, Maggie and I started delivering our baby. When she got to the shoulders, I realized the cord was wrapped around her neck TWICE.

I didn’t want to alert my wife, so I just told her to try to relax for a minute and I was somehow able to unwrap the cord from the baby’s neck. With two more strong pushes, and using my shirt for a towel, out came Gracelyn Mae Violet Griffin.

Newborn baby wrapped in white blanket — Courtesy of Robert Griffin

Postpartum mom embracing newborn in hospital — Courtesy of Robert Griffin

Paramedics arrived 15 minutes later, so we kept her warm by having the Chick-Fil-A staff warm up white towels in the kitchen and keep bringing them to us. We were also on speaker phone relating vitals to the first responders who were on their way.

For all the chaos, we all did amazing. We cut the cord while still in the bathroom, kept Gracie stable and mom calm, and it all worked out. It was not as planned, but everyone is healthy.

Her birth certificate reads ‘Born in Chick-Fil-A’ and the hospital had me sign the birth certificate as the attending physician.”

Mom smiles in ambulance alongside husband and newborn — Courtesy of Robert Griffin

Clean newborn baby sleeping on hospital blanket — Courtesy of Robert Griffin

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Robert Griffin of Texas. Join the Love What Matters family and subscribe to our free email newsletter.