Pregnancy is full of surprises, and sometimes things just don’t go the way you plan. For some women, labor can go from feeling a bit uncomfortable to “my water just broke” in what feels like seconds.
Then there are other possibilities that you don’t account for — maybe your partner isn’t around, and maybe you don’t even think to call an ambulance because, well, who expects it to happen so suddenly.
You’d think moments like these would bring people closer and show the best of friendship and community. But a woman was in for a surprise when she unexpectedly went into labor and gave birth in her friend’s car on the way to the hospital.
But soon after the incident, the friend cut ties with her blaming her for damaging the car.
A woman unexpectedly went into labor in her friend’s car
Image credits: AltrendoImages (not the actual image)
They were on the way to the hospital when the baby was born in the car itself
Image credits: Aditya Romansa (not the actual image)
Image credits: freepik (not the actual image)
The woman offered to pay and fix the car but the friend stopped talking to her
Image credits: freepik (not the actual image)
Image credits: ThrowRA_CarBaby
Labor can sometimes progress really quickly
Giving birth outside a hospital is rare, but it does happen. There’s even a name for it — “born before arrival,” or BBA for short, for any baby delivery that happens before a woman reaches a hospital, a birth center, or her planned homebirth with a midwife.
It can be either at home, in a public place, or in a car or ambulance while the mother is on the way to hospital.
In the past month alone, there have been several news stories from around the world — a woman gave birth beside a highway during a winter storm in Pittsburgh just two days ago. Last month, a woman delivered her baby inside a driverless Waymo taxi in San Francisco.
Labor can speed up faster than anyone expects, and sometimes women don’t have the time to get to a hospital.
Living far from a hospital, being alone, or even just misjudging the timing can become a life-changing emergency.
Research shows that about 0.5 % of all births in the UK are unplanned out‑of‑hospital deliveries, where the birth happens without a qualified midwife or obstetrician present.
Not every BBA comes with major risks, but there can be complications. Babies born outside a hospital are more likely to be premature or have a lower birth weight, which is why stories of healthy babies after a car birth should be all the more celebrated.
“One of the primary risks, for the baby, is hypothermia. This occurs when the baby’s temperature drops below 36.5°C. Newborns lose body heat quickly; BBAs can also occur in the car or outside, where it isn’t possible to create any kind of warm environment for the baby to be born into,” says Dr Laura Goodwin, an associate professor in Emergency Care, at UWE Bristol.
Her team is working to understand which women are most at risk of giving birth before arriving at hospital, and how best to make the situation easier and safer for them.
Support during a medical emergency can make it feel a lot less overwhelming
In unexpected births, friends, family, and even bystanders often play an important role — they might help with practical things, like driving you to the hospital, keeping the space safe if you accidently go into delivery, or making sure emergency services know what’s going on.
They can also offer emotional support and help you remain calm.
In the Reddit story, the woman went into labor while her partner was away — this wasn’t anyone’s fault because sometimes emergencies happen despite everyone’s best intentions.
What’s needed in situations like this is empathy and understanding, even after the delivery. Instead of getting angry about the car, showing care and compassion would have helped everyone navigate an intense moment together.
The woman answered some questions asked by readers
Some people shared their own experiences and advice with her
Comments poured in with different opinions on the issue
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