New parents Sandy and Alicia Macdonald learnt this the hard way, when labour pains interrupted their visit to the idyllic Isles of Scilly, where Alicia was conducting the ceremony at a friend\u2019s wedding.<\/p>\n
Without a midwife available nearby, the couple took to the skies in a coastguard\u2019s helicopter to reach the Royal Cornwall Hospital on mainland Truro. But baby Torran had other plans and made a surprise appearance en route \u2013 while the helicopter hovered an incredible 1,400 feet above Penzance.<\/p>\n
Luckily, little Torran\u2019s birth went smoothly despite the unusual circumstances and he was delivered on-board weighing a healthy 7lb 8oz. The coastguard later confirmed that he was the second baby to arrive mid-flight on one of their helicopters.<\/p>\n
Torran\u2019s unorthodox birth is a gentle reminder to parents everywhere that their baby could arrive at any time, regardless of their best-laid plans or the expected due date.<\/p>\n
In fact, there are countless stories of unexpected deliveries occurring at the most inopportune moments, such as in the supermarket, on a plane and even while travelling on public transport.<\/p>\n
Of course, it is tricky to know what to expect from labour and giving birth is something of a guessing game. There are ways to prepare, however, such as packing your hospital bag early and keeping it handy at all times<\/a>.<\/p>\n Your due date is a good indication of when baby might arrive \u2013 but it is more of a guideline than a guarantee.<\/p>\n Keep in mind that only 4% of babies arrive on their due date and the World Health Organisation reports that more than 1 in 10 babies are born prematurely. That amounts to around 15 million babies born early each year.<\/p>\n 1 in 5 babies, meanwhile, keep their parents waiting beyond 41 weeks.<\/p>\n Baby Torran was born in just under two hours so Alicia thankfully dodged a laborious labour. Most mums aren\u2019t so lucky though, and their labour usually lasts much longer.<\/p>\n The first stage, which involves cramps, backache and some blood, can take a while but midwives will only begin recording time once \u2018active labour\u2019 starts.<\/p>\n Active labour occurs when contractions become more frequent \u2013 about every 3 to 4 minutes, and lasting 5-60 seconds.<\/p>\n For most first-time mums, this takes between 6 and 12 hours or a sobering average of 7.7 hours. Fortunately, this number drops dramatically for subsequent births, to an average of 5.6 hours.<\/p>\n Reports suggest that the fastest known labour took just 120 seconds or a slender two minutes. For an expectant mother in Poland, the opposite was true \u2013 her labour took an astonishing 75 days. We know that once your pregnancy reaches a certain point, baby could come at any moment, which is why we recommend setting up your cord blood collection service well in advance.<\/p>\n We can organise a collection in as little as 24 hours \u2013 and operate a round-the-clock customer helpline to ensure that it\u2019s never too late to protect your child\u2019s long term health.<\/p>\n Simply call us on 01444 873950<\/strong> to get started and we will send you a Collection Kit<\/a><\/strong>. Find out more about cord blood banking by downloading a Welcome Pack now.<\/p>\n\n <\/p> How accurate is my due date?<\/h3>\n
How long does labour last?<\/h3>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#01a1c5″ background_layout=”dark” custom_padding=”15px|15px|15px|15px” global_colors_info=”{}”]\nExpecting the unexpected with Cells4Life<\/strong>…<\/h3>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]\nReferences<\/h3>\n
\n
Request a Welcome Pack<\/h2>\n
<\/ul><\/div>\n