Christmas surprise: Woman gives birth on Philadelphia subway train

There are few better Christmas gifts than a holiday baby. The parents of one bundle of joy were caught off-guard when their baby boy decided to make his first appearance in the world on an subway train in Philadelphia.

By the time two Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority officers arrived at the scene shortly after 6 p.m., the baby was well on his way. So Sgt. Daniel Caban and Officer Darrell James coached the woman through the delivery, unwrapped the umbilical cord from the baby’s neck, and placed the boy in his mothers’ arms.

"I had already opened all my presents," Sargent Caban told WPVI-TV. "I didn't know I had another one waiting for me around 5:53 this afternoon."

In 2013, there were 3.9 million births in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For most families, of course, birth is a private affair. However, newborns have been known to surprise their mothers in some unsuspecting places. When that happens, the whole world takes note.

Perhaps the most common-told story of unexpected birth is birth by the roadside. This happens enough that one Boston-area mother published the book “En Route Baby: What to Do When Baby Arrives Before Help Does” after she gave birth to her second child in the backseat of her car. The book offers tips to help expecting parents prepare for the unexpected. (Hint: Keep lots of blankets on hand.)

In May 2013, a British woman gave birth to a baby girl in the middle of a crowded, rush-hour train. "When we were taken off to go to the ambulance, there were people on the platform who gave us a rapturous round of applause and cheered. Passengers were lining the platform. It was a fantastic reception,” the baby’s father told The Telegraph.

Two months later, another British woman gave birth to a baby girl in a stalled elevator, according to The Independent. The paramedics had arrived shortly after the woman went into labor. Mother, father, and three paramedics were trapped in the elevator for 45 minutes before firefighters managed to open the doors of the lift. By that time, little Ella – short for elevator – has pushed her way into the world.

In 2013, at least five babies were born in and around Walmart stores in the United States, according to Time.com. Two mothers gave birth in Walmart parking lots, one in the pharmacy, and two others in store bathrooms.

In perhaps the most bizarre public birth in recent years, an Indian woman gave birth in the bathroom of a moving passenger train, The Times of India reported in Oct. 2013. The baby somehow slipped through the toilet down onto the tracks. Passengers helped retrieve the baby from the tracks after alerting the conductor to stop the train. Miraculously, the baby was unharmed.

This report includes material from The Associated Press.