Woman gives birth in Edinburgh Airport toilet

Drama struck the packed departure lounge on Sunday evening when an airport employee – a restaurant worker thought to be in her 20s – rushed to public lavatories complaining of stomach pains and was later found in the final stages of labour.

The baby was born in a toilet cubicle near Gate 12, which is only yards from a busy bar and a coffee outlet, at around 6pm with the help of a “hero” deputy manager.

It is understood mother, an airport catering worker, and daughter are well, with the newborn weighing in at 7lbs 14oz.

An airport source said: “The girl was complaining to a colleague that she was not feeling well and went to the toilet.

“When she didn’t come back after some time, someone went to see if she was OK.

“From what I understand the baby was already born or the mother was pretty well into the process by the time they arrived.”

At the time of the drama the airport lounge was packed with hundreds of travellers waiting to board foreign charter and domestic flights.

A GP who specialises in a sexual health and pregnancy clinic said cases of women delivering at full term without realising are more common than people think. She said: “It’s common among young girls, especially those who may have had little or no sexual education.

“In these cases they genuinely might not know.

“Often we deal with people who seem to be in an extreme case of denial. They have shut out the fact they are pregnant. This can be for a wide variety of reasons.

“What we do find is some woman don’t show. If they haven’t had morning sickness or sore breasts – some of the classic tell-tale signs – then it’s possible they’re  oblivious.”

A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: “We can confirm that a baby was born in the airport yesterday evening.

The lady in question is an employee of Restaurant Services, the company which operates the British Airways Lounge kitchen.

Mother and baby are now in hospital and all at Edinburgh Airport send their very best wishes.”

The birth at Edinburgh Airport echoes Lance Bombardier Lynette Pearce’s story which hit the headlines in September after the 28-year-old gave birth to a baby while on a miliary tour of  Afghanistan.

She stunned military chiefs by having a healthy son five weeks prematurely after saying she was not aware of her pregnancy.