Woman Gives Birth To Twins On Plane: Obstetrician On Board Helps Deliver Healthy Girls

A woman on a plane in Russia went into labor mid-flight. According to The Metro, 25-year-old Irina Vasylkova began having labor pains about halfway through the flight which was going from Zyryanka to Yakutsk. Before the mom-to-be knew it, things escalated and her babies were coming… yes, babies. Vasylkova was expecting twins.

Stewardess Christina Kondriatev recalled:

“I told the pilot and he sped up the flight to make sure that we could arrive as early as possible. But it was clear that the delivery was not going to wait.”

Vasylkova was made as comfortable as was possible on the plane, given the tight space. She was talked through the labor process by passenger Elena Sleptcova, who just happened to be an obstetrician. Despite alerting the pilot that a woman was in labor, efforts to get the plane to its destination quicker were no match for the babies. One of the twins, a girl, was born while the plane was still in flight. The second twin, another girl, was delivered as the plane landed in Yakutsk.

The woman who gave birth to twins on the Polar Airlines flight was likely in her third trimester but the report did not specify how many weeks along she was. Her baby girls were both born healthy and were transported to a nearby hospital once the plane landed. Polar Airlines realized how stressful the event must have been for Vasylkova and let her know that she and her daughters would be afforded free flights for life. That’s a pretty good push present, considering!

According to WhatToExpect.com, many women are cautioned against flying when they are over 36 weeks pregnant. While pregnant women do choose to fly, it is important to discuss plans with a doctor:

“If you decide to embark on any trip in any trimester, you and your OBGYN will need to discuss the length of your flight, what you’ll be doing on your trip, how remote your destination is, and how you’ve been feeling.”

Twins have been in the headlines a lot lately. Aside from these sisters making an appearance while on a plane, a family in Ohio recently made news when their twins were born holding hands. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the very rare identical monoamniotic twins were hand-in-hand when they were delivered via C-section. The girls, Jenna and Jillian are said to be doing well.

[Photo courtesy of CEN via The Metro]