THERE are many things a family car experiences in its lifetime – muddy shoes, rainy picnics and weary cries of "are we nearly there yet?"
However, a family's Ford S-Max got an altogether different experience when Anna Cowell gave birth in the moving car – while she was being driven to hospital.
The 32-year-old of Parkinson Drive, Chelmsford, started going into labour after taking the family dog Ella to the vets.
"When I got home from the vets it was obvious it was really happening," the mother-of-two told the Chronicle.
She frantically phoned her electrician husband Terry, 35, and told him to rush home from work, while her mother looked after their other children Joshua, four, and Fletcher, 18 months.
"It took Terry 30 minutes to get home, and by that point my contractions were two minutes apart," said Anna, who went into labour eight days early.
The couple sped off to Broomfield Hospital, but it was too late.
"I said to Terry when we were on the Chelmer Valley Road 'the head's out' and he swore at me," laughed Anna.
The couple contemplated pulling over, but with next to no medical experience they raced on hoping to get to Broomfield Hospital in the nick of time.
But it was already too late. With the next contraction, Anna gave birth to their third son, Leighton, on the front passenger seat.
She said: "Terry carried on driving, but when we got to the hospital there was more drama because the intercom system wasn't working.
"But luckily an off-duty midwife was leaving the hospital and Terry grabbed her and brought her over to the car.
"She was our knight in shining armour."
With help from paramedics from A&E, the umbilical cord was cut and mother and baby were given medical attention. Both were happy and healthy, and Leighton weighed 7lbs 7oz.
"My dad said 'blimey, that was quick,'" she laughed, adding "Everybody else asks 'so he was actually born in the car?' I suppose it is a bit dramatic."
