Makeshift delivery: Winchester woman delivers her baby at a gas station

A 25-year-old Winchester mom hoped for a home birth with midwives in attendance — and part of her wish came true.

A healthy baby boy was born May 3 with the help of Raelyn Williams’ midwife team, but it wasn’t at the house set up for the impending birth. The delivery took place in the back seat of a car at the Stinker Station in North Lewiston on a busy Friday afternoon.

“It’s a boy!” the midwives shouted at 5:17 p.m., when the first cry was heard. Loud cheers erupted from customers, emergency responders and curious bystanders in the parking lot.

Williams and her husband, Reilly Williams, were showered with support and care, and now have a memorable story of how they wound up having a baby at a Stinker Station.

Williams had her first son at home, and since she’s a healthy woman and considered a low-risk patient, she opted to get her care at Eden Wifery in Lewiston.

The first freestanding birth center in the region has been serving women since 2018 with prenatal care, home births and postpartum supervision.

Ivy Warwick, of Anatone, started her practice six years ago and moved locations in 2023 to join Ashley Rogers at the Warner Drive clinic. Warwick is a certified practical midwife, licensed in Washington and Idaho.

Rogers, who first launched Essential Women’s Wellness, is a certified nurse midwife and an advanced practice registered nurse in Idaho. She is a primary provider who sees many patients throughout the week. Birth assistants Bethany Wilks and Tori Salmeri round out the Eden crew, along with office manager Brigette Moody.

Warwick said the Stinker Station birth is one for the record books. For starters, it was her first car delivery. Then you have to factor in the scene: Traffic was shut down, first responders and flashing lights were there, and the parents and baby got a police escort to the birth house after the 7-pound, 14-ounce boy arrived.

Williams is the daughter of Lewis County Sheriff Jason Davis and his wife, Janae. They helped coordinate their grandchild’s impromptu parade of emergency crews and midwives.

All of the hoopla and attention surrounding the special day are a bit overwhelming, but Williams said she hopes to help normalize natural births by telling folks about her experience.

Typically, she and her husband of six years are “private people who don’t live our lives online,” Williams said, “but we don’t mind sharing this story, as long as you don’t use our kids’ names.”

The day had started with a morning appointment at Eden’s Lewiston office in the Orchards. Everything was looking good for the baby’s May 16 due date. After she left, the entire office went to lunch that day to celebrate the International Day of the Midwife, Warwick recalled.

Then Williams’ water broke that afternoon.

At that point, the rush was on to get her from Winchester to Lewiston to a birth house set up with a small pool, medical equipment and all of the supplies used for a home birth. However, Williams’ labor was progressing quickly, and the midwives knew it was time for an impromptu pit stop.

The women quickly planned an emergency rendezvous at the closest gas station along the route.

“We were throwing things in our cars and stuffing our pockets with supplies,” Wilks said. “On top of everything else, we had to get across Memorial Bridge, which is under construction, and it was one of the busiest times of the day.”

Adrenaline was pumping in both directions as the parents drove toward Lewiston, and the midwives headed to the Stinker Station. Thankfully, the Lewis County sheriff was instrumental in contacting 911 and getting first responders from Nez Perce County, Lewiston and the fire department to the scene, Warwick said.

A few minutes after the couple pulled into the gas station in their red Chevrolet Trax, Warwick delivered the baby with the help of Rogers, Wilks and Salmeri.

“The paramedics there were great,” Warwick said. “I handed one of them the placenta. The best part is they all got to see a natural birth, which is so magical.”

Williams said those few moments are a blur. She started pushing as soon as the midwives arrived, and the baby was ready for his debut. “I don’t remember exactly how long it took, but it went fast. My mom was there, too.”

Her family helped her stay calm, Warwick said. “She’s a rock star,” Wilks added.

Williams, who is young, healthy and low risk, is the ideal candidate for a natural birth, according to the midwives.

“I love the medical freedom of it,” Williams said. “I started researching it with my first pregnancy because I don’t react well to medications. The option to have an out-of-hospital birth was one of the key factors. This was my first time with Eden, and I adore them. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.”

After two natural childbirths, Williams said she’d “absolutely” recommend it to women who don’t have any health problems or dangerous circumstances.

Giving birth without any drugs made her feel strong, she said. “Knowing this is what my body is meant to do and knowing I can do it, for me, it’s an empowerment thing.”

After her baby arrived, Williams and her husband spent the next 24 hours at an Eden birth house, which is an Airbnb rental. “It’s a cute little house that works really well.”

Now at home, the family is doing great, she said, and the new baby is a blessing. “He’s growing and doing all of the normal newborn stuff.”

Compared to her first home birth, this one was a breeze, she said, even if it did take place in a parking lot along a busy highway.

When her oldest son was born four years ago, Williams said she had a “terrible post-birth experience,” partially because of the pandemic isolation in 2020 and a few people in the medical field who were not happy about her using a midwife instead of a hospital.

This time, she went with the Eden group, and said it was an entirely different scenario. “This was a great experience and something we can laugh about,” she said. “I felt like a human being through it all, not just a patient.”

Warwick said Eden Midwifery provides healthy women with additional options, such as home births or use of one of their birth centers.

“We are combining over 30 years of birth experience with both of our practices: Eden Midwifery and Essential Women’s Wellness,” she said. “We believe in personalized care and relationships. We see women from the beginning of pregnancy all the way through six weeks of postpartum through a mix of office and at-home visits.”

The goal is to meet women where they are, regardless of their educational background or economic status.

“We strive to understand that woman and her needs and make that connection, which provides trust and stability as providers,” Warwick said. “We believe that the mother is the authority on her body and her baby, and that we are there to provide guidance and safety when and if needed.”

Another aspect of the clinic is relying on God’s wisdom, Warwick said, “and to do our jobs well and provide care for these beautiful families.”

“We are incredibly proud of Raelyn and all of our moms who work so hard to bring new life into the world. We also want to thank our local EMS and law enforcement for the help they provided.”

As for the rare Stinker Station birth, Rogers said the teamwork on display that day is something she’ll never forget. She was at nearby Pepsi Park when her phone started blowing up.

“We met her where she needed to be, and she needed us at a gas station,” Rogers said. “That woman was so supported.”

Wilks, who has worked as a labor and delivery nurse for many years, said this was her first big adventure with the midwives.

“It was really exciting,” she said. “Every birth is so magical and special. It was just really cool to see the community come together for this.”

Sandaine can be reached at kerris@lmtribune.com. You can follow her on X @newsfromkerri.