Nearly seven months pregnant, Pinay gives birth in plane

A Filipina from Dubai unexpectedly gave birth in the airplane that was taking her home to the Philippines, a report of Ian Cruz on GMA Network's “24 Oras” newscast said on Thursday. Two Filipina nurses who were knowledgeable in childbirth assisted the woman despite the lack of medical equipment.   Karen Caballes-Santos, one of the nurses, said she noticed that the pregnant woman sitting beside her in the plane kept going back and forth to the comfort room.   Santos later learned from the woman's husband that his wife was six months pregnant and was already delivering the child in the plane's toilet. Santos then rushed to assist the woman.   “Nakaupo yung babae sa toilet seat, tapos hawak na niya yung baby, tapos umiiyak siya. Kasi cyanotic na kasi, black na [yung baby] parang ganoon. Tapos si Kuya (woman's husband) umiiyak na din,” Santos said.   “Then hinawakan ko yung baby, gumalaw siya tapos umiyak pa siya nang once tapos sabi ko doon sa babae, “Ate pray lang, pray, tapos kuya pray ka lang buhay yung baby niyo,” she added.   Although the airplane lacked equipment for childbirth, this did not prevent Santos from helping the woman.   “Kagaya nung sa pag-aspirate, wala naman kaming machine na pag aspirate, we just used the smallest catheter then yung syringe, yung big syringe pinagdugtong mo lang siya tapos yun ang pang-aaspirate mo dun sa baby,” she explained.   She also made an improvised incubator which gives a newborn much needed warmth.   “Sa eroplano, yun yung ginamit ko sakanya. Ang ginawa ko walang drum light, tinatapat ko lang siya sa mga lampshade. Tinapat ko na nga yung dalawa dun sa baby,” Santos said.   The other Filipino nurse who helped the couple was Edith David, who heard the captain's announcement, asking for medical assistance from professionals.   She was asked by the plane crew to attend to the mother. “Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘lumabas na ba yung placenta?’ So hindi pa. So ang sabi namin sa mommy, ‘Okay ka lang? Relax ka lang at buhay yung baby mo,’” she said.   “So kinuha namin yung baby, nilagyan namin ng oxygen. Okay na siya,” she added.   The plane made an emergency landing in Vietnam to bring the mother and child to a hospital.   Meanwhile, the photos of the baby Santos uploaded on a social networking site received a lot of positive feedback. - Andrei Medina, VVP, GMA News