Childbirth doesn’t always go as planned. Such was the case for a woman who boarded her flight from Dakar, Senegal, to Brussels, Belgium, and began experiencing severe stomach pain shortly after takeoff. A flight attendant on the Brussels Airlines flight sensed that the woman was experiencing something more than just typical stomach cramping. She was right.
Luckily, the outcome was positive. With the help of the flight attendant, and a nurse and a doctor onboard, the woman’s baby was born safely, mid-flight.
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The nurse and doctor guided the mom through breathing exercises.
The 22-year-old recently graduated nurse and the doctor who happened to be on the flight, were able to provide medical assistance as the flight attendant acted as a calming presence, according to The Bump. They worked together and “timed her contractions,” and shortly after, the mom’s water broke, according to a post on the airline’s LinkedIn page.
The plane headed back to Dakar, but the baby arrived before it landed.
Although pilots decided to head back to Dakar after being informed about the mom’s situation, the woman still ended up giving birth mid-flight. The airline described the tension on the plane: “The first moments were tense — was she okay? Was she breathing? And then, the most beautiful sound filled the cabin: her first cry.”
Luckily, the doctor onboard was able to confirm that the baby was healthy, according to the airline.
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The flight attendant, whose name is Jennifer, described the experience as ‘magical.’
“As a cabin crew member, you train for everything, even childbirth — but nothing prepares you for the real thing,” she said, per the airline’s LinkedIn post. She added that the team that helped the mom deliver her baby “stayed calm” and “worked as a team,” which made all the difference.
“It was magical,” Jennifer added. “If I hadn’t become a cabin crew member, I think I would have been a midwife.”
The airline praised its cabin crew and others who helped the mom.
In an Instagram post, the airline introduced the baby to the world. “Meet baby Fanta! 😍 Born mid-flight from Dakar to Brussels!” the airline wrote.
The airline referred to the unexpected birthing experience as “a true reflection of teamwork, care, and the extraordinary moments that happen in the sky.”
Additionally, the airline noted that the experience was “a moment Jennifer will never forget.” “Stories like these remind us that being cabin crew is more than just flying — it’s about caring for people, no matter the situation,” Brussels Airlines said on LinkedIn.
