Expectant moms often find themselves meticulously planning their births. It's only natural that you want to be in control (or at least vaguely) of such a life-changing situation.
However, as we all know, things of a great magnitude rarely go as planned. Having a baby is unpredictable at best. Julie Cacoilo and her fiance knew their third child was due this month...but they didn't expect her quite so soon. The Aspen Hill, Maryland mom woke up in the early hours of the morning with labour pains, according to WTop.
Mom and dad quickly loaded themselves into the car and headed to Adventist Health Care Shady Grove Medical Center. Despite their speedy driving, Cacoilo knew they weren't going to make it in time. In a flash, she braced her arm on the console and gave birth to their beautiful baby girl as they drove down the Intercounty Connector.
The whole thing lasted just a matter of seconds. 28-year-old Cacoilo already has two children, so she had an idea of what to do, thus catching her daughter with one arm and holding on to the armrest with the other.
Her fiance, Wayne Jackson, pulled the car over and called for an ambulance. Despite being obviously panicked and stressed, Jackson was able to assist Cacolio in arranging their baby in the folds of her nightgown.
The experienced mom unwrapped her from the umbilical cord and checked her breathing, before settling in to wait for the professionals to arrive. The happy event happened near Exit 3 on Maryland Route 200 just before 5.am on Tuesday, July 2nd. That's one way to make it into the world! Clearly, little Xyla Brielle couldn't wait to see what life was all about.
It's not uncommon for second or third births to happen more quickly than the first time around. In most cases, it's unlikely to take more than 12 hours, compared to the average of 18 hours in first-time moms. When it's time to push, it can take anywhere up to an hour, but often takes just five or ten minutes. There's no rule book for this game though, anything could happen - just ask the Jacksons and their happy, healthy baby girl.