Boats, Lawns and Worse: Seven Extreme Birth Stories

 

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Births at Sesame Street Theme Park

What child doesn't want to go to Sesame Street, perhaps even say they're from there? While the famous Sesame Street is fictional, parents can take kids to Busch Garden's Sesame Place in Pennsylvania -- and at least two mothers have had children there.

The latest birth among the fuzzy Muppet characters happened in a bathroom stall last July. Mother Takia Mann felt cramps and headed to the bathroom to be surprised at what came out.

"It happened so fast. I didn't have pain, just shock," Mann told Sesame Place employees.

A woman in a nearby stall asked Takia if she was all right, and Takia opened the door with her brand new 5-pound, 11-ounce baby in her arms, according to a press release issued by Sesame Place.

"We sent Elmo and Abby Cadabby to visit the mother and child at St. Mary's Medical Center at Longhorn," said Paula Pritchard, director of communications for Sesame Place. "Actually, this is the second baby born at Sesame Place. A little boy was born 10 years prior."

Jayda, the baby girl, turned out fine and the Manns received season passes for 2009 as a gift.

Crowded Interstates Collect Three Gridlock Births in One Month

The next time you curse morning rush hour traffic, think of the three women who gave birth on the jammed Interstate 5 in Seattle during one month in 2007.

First Ian Miller was born in a car parked on the shoulder on Jan 5, then on Jan. 29 Juliet Kirkman was born in a moving car. The next day, Alexa Rodriquez was born in front of a state trooper on an off ramp.

This file photo shows, rush hour traffic, elevated view, Seattle, Washington, The I-5 bridge passes over Lake Washington.

State troopers told the AP that they were trained to handle deliveries, but preferred not to have to do so.

"It's part of our basic curriculum at the academy," said state patrol spokesman Jeff Merrill. "You secretly hope you don't have to use it in the field."

Lu said in cases like these, it's best to call for help rather than continue driving.

"In those situations it's wise to play on the safe side -- if it looks like you're not going to make it to the hospital, call the ambulance because they can get to you a lot faster than you can get to the hospital," said Lu.

"The call for help is probably the most important thing, the other thing that's important to do is to protect the mom," Lu said.

Lu said that often in a precipitous birth, the baby is coming out so fast that it can do damage to the mother. Lu recommends for those at the birth to gently place a hand on the baby's head and to guide its speed as it comes out.

Mom Gives Birth in Royal Park in London

The Richmond Park in London is full of history, both royal and common. Though it once counted among its residents King Charles I and his court as protection from the plague in 1625, today it's home to mostly deer and beetles.

One October day in 2006 Carmel and Fredrik Ohrwall were on their way to the hospital when Carmel asked her husband to pull over, into the park, according to reporting by The Sun. Fortunately, some fast-thinking tree surgeons happened to be nearby.

In this file photo, a herd of deers watches a young boy bicycle through Richmond Park in southwest London June 3, 2001.

Four pushes later and her baby was out.

Even in that situation, Moore said the best thing a bystander could do is to call for help.

"Even a doctor in a park, the most important thing they can do is calling an ambulance," said Moore. "Even if an ob-gyn happens to be walking in the park, he isn't going to have something to clean the baby, to suction the baby, to tie off an umbilical cord."

After the baby comes, Moore said it's important not to assume the mother and child don't need to go to the hospital.

"Even if they look fine, even if the baby is cooing and nursing and everything looks fine, it's very important to get them checked out," she said.