Woman Gives Birth in Zagreb Shopping Centre Carpark

A 23-year-old Croatian woman has given birth in the front seat of her car after failing to make it to the hospital in time, writes daily 24sata…

Monika Strahija (23), from Jastrebarsko just outside the capital Zagreb, felt her waters break at around 5:00am when she woke to feed her elder child. She quickly woke her husband Kristijan up and they tried to make a quick dash for the Sisters of Mercy Hospital in Zagreb. Sitting in the passenger’s seat of the car, Monika could not hold on and on the way could feel the baby’s head already coming out.

“This is it, we don’t have anymore time, Monika is going to give birth now,” Kristijan realised by the look on his wife’s face.

Kristijan pulled onto the curb in front of a shopping centre and moments later he was holding his new-born daughter Ana in his hands.

“We took off Monika’s pants and the little one simply just came out, she slid down the seat and I got her. She started to cry and I knew everything was alright. I was a bit confused what to do with the umbilical cord, I quickly called the ambulance and the hospital and they said don’t touch anything as they will be on their way,” said a delighted Kristijan. (pic: illustration)