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Woman who didn't know she was pregnant gives birth on flight

Entertainment
 Stunned new mum Lavinia Mounga with baby Raymond Kaimana Wade Kobe Lavaki Mounga (Image: GoFundMe)

A woman who didn't know she was pregnant had the surprise of a life time after she gave birth at 30,000ft.

It was not the kind of arrival Lavinia Mounga was expecting as she flew from Salt Lake City in the US to Honolulu.

She was flying to Hawaii with her family last week when she began having contractions.

"Overwhelmed in the best ways," she tweeted on Saturday after the in-flight delivery that followed went viral.

A fellow passenger shared footage of the heart-warming moment the whole cabin burst into applause after a stunned Lavinia gave birth birth mid-flight.

The new mum named her baby Raymond Kaimana Wade Kobe Lavaki Mounga after he was delivered safely aboard the aircraft.

 Passengers turn around as the heartwarming drama on the flight gets underway (Image: juliabernice/TikTok)

The baby's father, Ethan Magalei, wrote on Facebook he was stunned by little Raymond's arrival, which he described as 'a miracle'.

He thanked the people who had helped the couple during the birth, adding that he hopes to be "the best dad."

Julia Hansen, from the United States, was travelling with her friend on a flight on Thursday when the journey was delayed for three hours by the medical episode.

Some social media users wondered how such a heavily pregnant woman could get clearance to fly.

However the dad told Julia she hadn't known she was pregnant before giving birth on the flight, according to the Star Online.

 The baby's stunned father posted about their surprise new arrival on Facebook (Image: Facebook)

In her TikTok video, which has had more than one million views, the cabin crew manager can be heard saying: "As most of you have probably heard, we just had a child birth on the aircraft, let's have a nice round of applause for the mother. Congratulations."

The passengers clap and cheer as they remain in the seats to allow the cabin crew to assist the new mum.

A team of emergency staff board the plane with an oxygen tank and equipment as they head towards the back of the plane to check on the baby and the mum.

A few minutes later, the staff are able to help the pair off a flight in a wheelchair and ferry them into an ambulance.

The newborn can be heard crying in the background as they pass rows of delighted passengers.

Julia explained in the comments: "The mother and baby were perfectly healthy when they got off the plane.

"To those wondering how she was able to fly in her third trimester, I sat next to her dad on the plane and he said they didn't even know she was pregnant."

Some viewers were left in tears as one said: "The only time it's okay to clap when the plane lands."

Others speculated on the newborn's name, place of birth, and wondered if the baby will get free rides for life.

According to the US State Department, a child born in international waters should list place of birth as "at sea"; if a child is born in flight in a region which no country claims, he or she would officially be classified as born "in the air".

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