Woman gives birth on hard shoulder of motorway near Delft

Many parents know that, regardless of whether or not they feel ready, when your baby is on its way there is nothing you can do to delay or stop the birth from happening. One couple realised this fairly quickly last weekend, when the pregnant mother was forced to give birth in a car on the A13 motorway

Home birth, hospital birth or... car birth?

If you’re pregnant and about to give birth, there are plenty of decisions you and your partner or spouse are faced with. Not only do you have to decide on a name and pick out a colour to paint the new nursery, but here in the Netherlands many families also choose between home births or giving birth in a hospital. 

For one imminent mother, however, that decision was rather abruptly taken away as, after going into labour, she and her partner could not make it to their local hospital in time. Instead, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl in a rather unusual place: a car, pulled over on the side of a Dutch motorway on the outskirts of the city of Delft. 

Baby Bente born on the A13 motorway on April 16

Expecting parents Shannen and Luca hopped in their car and rushed to the hospital after Shannon went into labour on the afternoon of Sunday, April 16. Their midwife was following in the car behind them, and all three were hopeful they’d make it to the hospital in time for the birth - but things didn’t quite work out that way. 

Instead, both cars pulled over on the side of the A13 motorway, near the exit for Delft. Around 30 seconds after stopping, father Luca explained to RTL Nieuws, Shannen gave birth to the couple’s second child: a beautiful and healthy baby girl named Bente. 

The police and an ambulance were called to the scene to assist, and following the birth Shannen and Bente were taken to a nearby hospital. To mark the special moment, the Rijkswaterstaat gifted the parents with the road marker sign (hectometerpaal) from the site of the birth.

Thumb: Ratchat via Shutterstock.com.