Baby born at 70mph in fast lane of the M1
A MOTHER-TO-BE made an express delivery when her baby was born at 70mph in the fast lane of the M1.
Little Archie rushed out despite mum Rebecca Cheung not expecting him for at least another week.
When her contractions started coming thick and fast, she was told by medical staff to head to hospital.
Father Anthony Marks, 30, dropped off their year-old son Harvey with relatives before starting on the 12-mile drive from their home in Middlestown, West Yorkshire, to Pindersfield hospital in Wakefield.
But as they dashed up the motorway, Archie decided the time was time to introduce himself. Rebecca, 29, said: “We left home at 8.45am and when we got on to the M1 my contractions started going crazy.
“Anthony was saying ‘You can’t push yet’ but then my waters broke and it got a bit messy.”
The motorway had no hard shoulder, so Anthony had to keep driving in last Sunday’s drama.
He said: “I’m bombing it in the fast lane and all the while I’m thinking, ‘This baby can’t be born here’.” Rebecca said: “I still had my underwear on so I had to try and get it off in the front seat of the car. When Anthony saw me he said, ‘What are you doing?’ Then he saw the baby’s head and half of the body coming out.
“We were both panicking and the car started swerving.
“I pushed again and the whole body came out and then the baby was there. He didn’t cry straight away, so it was a bit of a panic.
“His chord was wrapped under his arms and pushing his neck forwards but after we untangled him and he had a bit of a cry we both relaxed a bit.” Software salesman Anthony pulled off at the next junction and phoned the hospital to alert them.
Hospital staff told him to head straight for A&E.
Rebecca, a research officer for Northern Ballet, said: “We parked by the ambulances and the paramedics ran over to help us.
“We were moved up to the birthing suite and then it all came home to me.
“I just couldn’t believe had just happened.” what