Sailor who didn't know she was pregnant gives birth on aircraft carrier fighting ISIS

ARABIAN GULF (Sept. 9, 2016) The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) sails in formation with FS Lafayette. Ike and its Carrier Strike Group are deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Theodore Quintana) ARABIAN GULF (Sept. 9, 2016) The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) sails in formation with FS Lafayette. Ike and its Carrier Strike Group are deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Theodore Quintana)

On Sunday a third class petty officer gave birth to a healthy 7-pound baby girl aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (“Ike”) -which has been in the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve since June.

According to Cmdr. Bill Urban, 5th Fleet spokesman, the sailor and the command did not know about the pregnancy before Saturday. Pregnant sailors are not allowed to deploy and normally leave an operational command after being pregnant for twenty weeks.

The sailor, whose name is being withheld for privacy concerns, gave birth after checking into the Dwight D. Eisenhower’s medical clinic with stomach pains on Saturday, according to an internal memo on the incident obtained by Navy Times.

“Both the mother and the baby are healthy and are doing well,” said Urban.

“As the baby was born at sea aboard an operational unit, the main focus for the U.S. Navy, the ship and its crew is the safety and well-being of the baby and the mother,” Urban said in an email.

When it became known that the sailor was going to have a baby on board, the carrier had diapers, baby formula, and an incubator brought to the ship for the infant.

After the successfully delivery of the baby on board the aircraft carrier, the newborn and the mother were airlifted via helicopter to Bahrain with a medical escort.

“While it would have been preferred to send her to her homeport earlier, per policy, we are now focused on caring for the health and welfare of our sailor and the newest member of our Navy family,” Urban said.

Despite the carrier anticipating any births while at sea, the family practitioner aboard, who delivered the baby, is certified in child birth and has experience delivering babies, according to Urban.

“A number of personnel assigned to Ike medical department have received training to deliver and care for a newborn,” Urban added.

The sailor and her child are reportedly on their way to a local hospital in Bahrain.

All rights reserved. The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of Bright Mountain Media, Inc. which may be contacted at info@brightmountainmedia.com, ticker BMTM.

Post navigation