Woman gives birth on outside lane of a motorway

A woman gave birth as her partner drove in the outside lane of a Hampshire motorway during a dash to hospital. Becci Longley, of Hamble, was in the front passenger seat when her baby's head "popped out" on the M3 on the way to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

Miss Longley claims she was twice sent home by staff at the hospital earlier in the day before giving birth to daughter Aaliyah last month. The hospital denied she was turned away and the speed of the birth was "rare". Miss Longley, 20, had visited the hospital in the morning and the evening of 29 May before her daughter's arrival. When her waters broke just over an hour after going home for the second time her boyfriend, Andrew Mildenhall, 21, began the car journey.

But at the Hockley link on the M3, and with the couple's car in the outside lane, Miss Longley started giving birth. She said: "Andrew was trying to get on to the hard shoulder but we were in the third lane. By the time we were in the second lane her head was out. We were flashing people and trying to get over and she was out.



"It was very scary but my natural instincts kicked in and I just knew I had to be calm. Being with it being my first child, you just don't know. When I asked them [the hospital] to keep me in [on the second occasion], it would have been an hour-and-a-half later and would have all gone smoothly. It would have been more comfortable than in my front seat anyway."

But a Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust spokesperson said: "We wish to make it clear that Rebecca was not turned away at any point. Options about the best place for her to be whilst waiting for her labour to progress were discussed and on both times... she made the decision to stay at home.

"Given the fact that she was a first time mother with a slow progression of labour, she would have been advised that her labour may be long. It is very rare for a first time mother in labour to progress so quickly from such a slow start."

With news video.