A woman went into labor when she least expected it, on the Delta airline flight from Salt Lake City to Hawaii. In fact, Lavinia “Lavi” Mounga did not expect to be pregnant either , something she was unaware of when she boarded the plane last Wednesday, April 28.
In the middle of the journey, and flying over the Pacific Ocean, the woman went into labor in the bathroom of the plane. Fortunately, a family doctor and three neonatal nurses were also traveling on that flight and were able to assist the mother and her baby who was born prematurely at 29 weeks’ gestation .
“Halfway through the flight there was an emergency advisory, and I’ve experienced this before, they are usually pretty straightforward asking if there is a doctor on board,” Dr. Dale Glenn said in a Hawaii Pacific Health news release. “This call was not like that, and it was quite urgent”
Labor was going so fast that they knew the baby would not wait. That’s when the pros jumped into action and had to improvise at 35 feet tall. With no special equipment for the premature infant, the group opted for creativity: they used shoelaces to tie and cut the umbilical cord and monitored the baby’s pulse with a smart watch.
“We all try to work in a very small and confined space on an airplane, which is quite complex. But the teamwork was great, ” Glenn said.
Upon landing in Honolulu, medical response teams were waiting to take the mother and baby to the Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women and Children.
The mother has already been discharged and the baby continues to be admitted to the ICU due to his prematurity, waiting for him to go home soon.
Childbirth went viral on Tik Tok
Many passengers did not find out what was happening until the crew announced it over the public address system. They were all asked to remain seated so that one passenger could receive medical assistance.
In fact, after the birth, the mother returned to her seat with her newborn baby in her arms, until the flight reached its destination.
@juliabernice It’s the ‘baby being born while we’re above the Pacific Ocean’ for me
♬ original sound – Julia Hansen
The moment was shared on Tik Tok by a passenger named Julia Hansen who was traveling with a friend, and the video has already accumulated more than 12 million views. It shows the most exciting moments: when the birth is announced on the flight, the applause of the passengers, the cry of the baby and the landing of the plane three hours later.
“The loudspeaker went on and off as if they were about to announce something, but they didn’t. Then a little baby cry was heard, ”he continued.
In Babies and more | What you think will never happen to you: a woman gives birth in mid-flight
