Written by Staff Writer at CNN New Zealand, Rebecca Langston
First time mother Chloe Scott breezed into hospital on Monday, ready to give birth to her first child in a few days.
But the Auckland woman had another surprise in store for everyone on the maternity ward.
With her partner Ross Thomas at her side, Scott got on a bike and cycled just a few kilometers to the hospital to meet her doctor.
“I was a bit surprised,” Thomas told New Zealand’s Newshub. “And a bit scared,” he added.
Little Dash Thomas was born on Tuesday morning weighing 6.35 kilograms (14 pounds) and measuring 10.3 centimeters (4.8 inches) long.
Baby Dash is the first New Zealand baby to be born this year, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
‘Adorable little chap’
Scott was born in the southeastern town of Kawerau in 1990, and her first child, Elliott, was born at Kapiti District Hospital, about 6 miles from the new arrival’s hospital, in February.
“When I was about to give birth to Elliott, my grandmother was in the labour ward, so I asked her if she could deliver Dash,” Scott told Newshub.
Three years later, while on holiday in a Californian city, Scott took the bike back to Auckland and biked back to the hospital to give birth to daughter Tiana Rose.
Dash Thomas was born at Government Hospital in Auckland on Tuesday morning. He measures 10.3 centimeters (4.8 inches). Credit: Chris Young / Newshub
Dash weighed 8.38 kilograms (17 pounds 2 ounces) and measured 8.9 centimeters (3.7 inches) at birth.
“Dash is a little chunky compared to my baby, but he is still so adorable and good-natured,” Scott told Newshub.
“My boys are so jealous and fighting over him like their other brothers,” she added.
Firstborn sons
Fertility consultant Jo Wilson said the event could be just the beginning for similar deliveries.
“A couple does have a measureable change if they are home and are cycling,” Wilson said.
She added that if the health of the parents is already unwell, getting on a bike in order to deliver can be considered a last resort.
“It does give an insight into how these people want to do things, and would like to be able to do things independently,” Wilson told CNN.
The bike Scott used to deliver Dash came with a refrigerator mounted to the back, with fake wine and ice. Credit: Chris Young / Newshub
This is not the first time that a person has delivered a baby on a bike in New Zealand.
Back in 2014, Karen Walker posted a picture of herself on a bicycle in Christchurch delivering a baby to a local newspaper.
Similarly, in 2011, Fotini Chelidesakis delivered her infant daughter in Auckland after cycling more than a mile.
Scott will keep Dash in hospital until he’s five days old.