Woman who didn't know she was pregnant gives birth on plane

Agencies | Amsterdam                   

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com  

A woman passenger who didn't know she was pregnant gave birth mid-flight last week after going to the bathroom with a stomach ache. The woman, identified as Tamara, was on a KLM Royal Dutch flight from Guyaquil, Ecuador to Amsterdam when she took everyone in the aircraft by surprise by unexpectedly giving birth. Ms Tamara was flying from Ecuador to her destination in Spain, with a stop at Schipol Airport outside Amsterdam.

"A few hours before landing in the Netherlands, her stomach hurt and she decided to go to the toilet," a spokesperson for the Spaarne Gasthuis Haarlem Zuid hospital told NL Times, adding, "To her great surprise, after two contractions, she suddenly had a baby in her hands".

"Tamara had no idea she was pregnant and was quite taken aback by the event," the hospital said.

As per New York Post, an airline spokesperson said that two doctors and a nurse from Austria were on the plane and assisted Ms Tamara in the delivery, "for which we are very grateful to them". The authorities also informed that Ms Tamara named the baby Maximiliano, after one of the helpful passengers who was by her side to make sure she had a safe delivery.

Both the mother and baby are currently "doing well," KLM airline said. It also said that upon arrival at Schiphol, the mother and newborn boy were taken by ambulance to the Spaarne Gasthuis.

"Both Tamara and Maximiliano were fortunately in good health," the hospital said, as per the outlet. "The team in the birthing department did everything possible to ensure that both received proper care and were on their way for the necessary paperwork for Maximiliano. As soon as possible, Tamara and Maximiliano will travel on to Madrid. The Spaarne Gasthuis wishes them well!" they added.

Meanwhile, in a similar incident, a couple in the United States got the shock of their lives when they found out they were expecting a baby, and just 48 hours later gave birth to their first child. The doctors revealed that the woman had preeclampsia - a pregnancy condition that can cause serious complications and is characterised by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system.