Daniel Peaceman Was Trying to Beat Mass Pike Rush-Hour Traffic to the Hospital, but His Third Son Had Other Plans in the Left Lane

Daniel Peaceman and his wife were still in Wednesday morning rush-hour traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Newton when their third son decided he was done waiting. The baby was born in the car, in the left lane, while the couple was on the phone with 911, Peaceman told WHDH 7News.

Mom and baby are both doing fine. State police and EMS crews met the family after they pulled over on Oct. 28.

Born in the Left Lane

The couple had been trying to get to the hospital as contractions sped up. “Contractions were coming pretty close together,” Peaceman told the station.

They did not make it off the Pike. Peaceman said the baby arrived while they were in the left lane, with 911 dispatchers on the line, and that they pulled over after the birth. A 7NEWS photographer was in the area as state troopers and EMS crews arrived, according to the station.

The family has not publicly shared the baby’s name, his weight or which hospital they were headed to. The newborn is the couple’s third child and third boy.

“Overall Not Too Nervous”

Peaceman described the scene as surprisingly steady. He said he was “overall not too nervous,” explaining that both he and his wife are “pretty involved in the healthcare space” and that she had given birth before.

Why Later Babies Can Come Faster

A previous birth is one of the factors Cleveland Clinic lists as raising the chance of precipitous labor, a delivery that happens within three hours of regular contractions starting. A history of fast labor, a smaller-than-average baby and high blood pressure can also play a part, the clinic says.

The March of Dimes notes that labor timelines vary widely. The first stage of labor lasts about 12 to 19 hours for first-time mothers and about 14 hours for mothers who have given birth before, and the second stage, the pushing stage, can run longer for first-time moms, according to its guide to the stages of labor. Active labor, when contractions can come as close as 3 minutes apart, is the point the group identifies as time to head to the hospital.

Signs It Is Time to Call

True labor contractions come at regular intervals, roughly 5 to 10 minutes apart, and grow longer and stronger instead of easing with rest, according to MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine’s consumer health site.

MedlinePlus advises contacting a provider right away for leaking amniotic fluid, decreased fetal movement, vaginal bleeding heavier than light spotting, or regular painful contractions every 5 to 10 minutes for an hour. Cleveland Clinic suggests that anyone at risk of a fast delivery pack a hospital bag and emergency supplies, such as towels and blankets, several weeks ahead of the due date.

If the Baby Comes First

Medical centers publish guidance for families whose babies arrive before they reach the hospital. UT Southwestern Medical Center’s pregnancy blog says the first step when labor is moving too fast to reach the hospital is to call 911 as soon as possible, the same move the Peacemans made.

Its guidance tells the mother to lie down or sit propped up rather than stand or squat, so the baby cannot fall. When the urge to push comes, it suggests pushing for a count of five and then pausing to breathe, and gently guiding the baby out. If the umbilical cord is looped around the baby’s neck or body, it should be carefully unlooped.

After the birth, UT Southwestern advises drying the baby and placing the newborn on the mother’s chest to stay warm, clearing mucus from the nose with a finger and rubbing the back with a dry towel if the baby does not cry right away, and getting medical care as soon as possible.

For the Peacemans, the timeline was shorter than any guide. Their son arrived on the Mass Pike in the middle of the morning commute, and state police and EMS crews met him at the side of the road.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: John Phelan – CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons