Woman in Texas gives birth to son in car

A pregnant woman in Texas was in for a surprise while she and her husband were rushing to the hospital.

The couple, who were on their way to Bay Area Birthing Center in Pasadena, were on the road for 45 minutes when the 22-year-old Lesia Pettijohn delivered her baby in their car, while her husband, Jonathan Pettijohn, captured the entire process on his GoPro camera.

The four-minute video, which was posted on YouTube on July 16, begins with Lesia trying to stay calm as she controls her breathing. Approximately 40 seconds into the video, she started screaming in pain and after a minute or so, she takes off her pants with her husband's help.

With only a few pushes, Lesia gives birth to her baby. The mother then said: "Oh my goodness, it's a boy". After which the stunned woman then gives her husband a high-five.

According to reports, the couple did not know the gender of their child until he was born. The baby is named Josiah and weighed 4.5kg at the time of his birth.

To date, 6.8 million viewers have watched the video on YouTube.

After the birth, Lesia told Texas news site The Facts: "I was just thinking, 'Well I have to push him out, he can't stay halfway.

"I don't want (giving birth in a car) to happen again," she added with a laugh.

stephluo@sph.com.sg