Baby Born in Car Due to Leave Putnam Hospital Today

from Marcela Rojas, Manager, Public and Community Affairs

A pregnant Carmel woman had quite the birthing experience when she was on her way to Putnam Hospital Center and wound up having her baby in the car.

“I started having contractions around 5 a.m. and then all of a sudden at about 7 a.m. they got really bad and really fast,” recalled Candice Belardi, from her hospital room. “We got everyone in the car and their dad is telling me ‘don’t push’ but I had one contraction and the head was out and the next contraction the body was out.”

Joshua Lewis Haviland was born at 7:50 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31, while driving along Hughson Road, a mile or two from Putnam Hospital Center. The newborn, who weighed in at 6 pounds, 11 ounces is doing great, she said. 

After delivering the baby, Belardi said she wrapped him in her boyfriend’s shirt as he kept driving to the hospital.

Belardi has two other children, ages 4 and 8, who were in the car at the time of delivery.

“The kids were like ‘he’s crying, how cute,’” she said.

Belardi is still stunned by her birthing experience, she said, adding that her previous deliveries were much longer.

“It was crazy, even thinking about it now,” she said. “How does that happen?”

Both mother and son are expected to go home today.