Woman in labour almost gives birth on Liège bus

A pregnant woman who travelled 30km on public transport after her waters had broken has narrowly avoided giving birth to her sixth child on a TEC bus - thanks to the quick actions of the driver, who also happens to be a volunteer ambulance driver.

Within 10 minutes of being dropped off by the bus at Liège hospital, Christine had given birth to Noémie, who at 3.45kg and 51cm is in good health.

Christine was in Huy when she lost her waters. She then caught a train to Liège because she wanted to give birth at the hospital where her gynecologist works.

On the train to Liège, the contractions began, and by the time she boarded the TEC bus in Liège city centre, she was in real discomfort.

"I didn't think it would happen so quickly. I thought I had at least three hours," she told RTL.

As luck would have it, her bus driver, Hervé, is also a volunteer Red Cross ambulance driver.

"I saw in my rear-view mirror that she was having difficulty, that she was wriggling in all directions and her face showed she was suffering," Hervé said.

"I told the other passengers - there were only about five of them - that I'd be driving non-stop to the hospital. They all understood."

Hervé has been praised by TEC management for his calm response and quick-thinking.

In September 2017, paramedics were called to deliver a baby on-board a TEC bus in Liège. The baby was given unlimited free travel until the age of 18, and the mother a free bus pass for a year.