A Southland woman who gave birth in her home had not even been aware she was expecting.
When Annette Macann, aged 31, from Greenhills, 15km southwest of Invercargill, started having labour pains about 7 pm on Sunday, she thought it was constipation or something much worse.
Her husband, Marcus, 44, said he knew something was seriously wrong but a baby was the last thing he expected to see.
"It took a few seconds to register this was an arm and a head and then he started crying.
"I took him out gently and fortunately he came out very well."
Mrs Macann had suffered health problems this year but had no idea she was pregnant until her husband yelled: "It's a baby."
The boy weighed just 1.36kg and will spend about five weeks in the neonatal unit at Southland Hospital in Invercargill.
Baby Stephen was slightly premature at 32 weeks.
He is the couple's first child. NZPA
The Macanns said they were still in shock at what had happened and were exhausted.
"The day before she actually helped me plant 200 trees - that's what sort of a husband I am," Mr Macann said.
Stephen is the couple's first child.
- NZPA
Stephen's sudden arrival takes parents by storm
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