‘How our healthy, 9lb baby boy was born in our 2006 Nissan Altima’

Gillian Fitzpatrick

We’ve all heard the jokes about babies being born on the side of the road because of traffic or an unexpected delay.

But it can happen in real life too. Indeed, one couple recently shared their incredible story of just that very experience… and it sounds scary and joyous in equal measures.

A post shared by Bethany Mandel (@bethanyshondark) on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:42pm PDT
Bethany and Seth Mandel are both writers living in New York. Yesterday they were en route – albeit still about 20 minutes away – from the hospital when Bethany realised she was about to give birth to their third child.

Seth explained in an article for the New York Post that after pulling over onto the side of the road he dialled for emergency services. However, things moved along rather quickly.

A post shared by Bethany Mandel (@bethanyshondark) on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:45am PDT

“Our healthy, nine-pound baby boy was born in our 2006 Nissan Altima, a workhorse with more than 130,000 miles on it,” Seth explained.

A post shared by Bethany Mandel (@bethanyshondark) on Apr 27, 2017 at 10:38pm PDT

But when their son arrived, terrifyingly he wasn’t immediately breathing.

“The umbilical cord was draped around the back of his neck. He was purplish… We’re holding a purple baby who hasn’t breathed yet and hasn’t cried.”
After waiting “an eternity,” the newborn (he hasn’t yet been named) finally coughed, breathed and then cried. Paramedics arrived shortly afterwards.
Bethany yesterday took to Instagram to thank her husband. “Thank you to my best midwife yet – Seth – for delivering our 9lb son in his car earlier this morning off of Route 1 in a gravel parking lot outside an auto body shop.”

She added: “Thanks to God we are happy and healthy, and just a tiny bit shell shocked by a 45 minute birth.”