RALEIGH, N.C. — Expectant parents ran into an unexpected problem June 4. Their baby boy did not wait for the safe, sterile environment of a hospital birthing suite. His first view of the world was the upstairs bathroom at home.

Tara and Chris Stanford planned on a hospital delivery, but on June 4, Tara Stanford said shedid not think she was going to have a baby because she was still five weeks short of full term.

"Now that I look back, I was having kind of regular, very gentle pains throughout the day," Tara Stanford said.

Then, she said they felt like real contractions. Chris Stanford put their luggage and daughter, Delaney, in the car, but Tara Stanford sensed it was too late.

"There was no way we were going to make it, the 45-minute drive to Western WakeMed in Cary," Tara Stanford said.

They called 911. In 10 minutes, four firemen arrived, followed by paramedics.

"Had they not arrived, I don't know, Chris or some big burly fireman might have been birthing the baby," Tara Stanford said.

"From about that time, it was, maybe, three pushes and he was here," Chris Stanford said.

Nathaniel Stanford was born 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Everything turned out fine, but the Stanfords do not recommend home deliveries, at least not unplanned ones.

"We were fortunate that he was fine, that I didn't have any problems, there was no, you know, extra bleeding. It was perfect," Tara Stafford said.

There are several things that could go wrong in a delivery, including problems with the umbilical cord or the baby coming down in a breech position. After delivery, the mother could be at risk of post-partum hemorrhaging.

If you end up in an unexpected situation where the baby is here, there are some things to keep in mind.