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Original poster

Baby born in Camp Bastion!

187 replies

FairPhyllis · 20/09/2012 01:45

A soldier has given birth in Camp Bastion, after not realizing she was pregnant. The baby was five weeks prem. Link.

I hope the surprise has helped morale at the camp. But what I would like to know (because I am endlessly fascinated by stories of births in weird places), is what citizenship does the baby get? Will it have Afghan citizenship? Can it get British citizenship from being born in a British base? (The mother is Fijian)

OP posts:
Startailoforangeandgold · 20/09/2012 11:08

It is totally possible to be PG and not know, it happened to someone I know well and who would not have denied herself or her baby antenatal care.

Original poster
FairPhyllis · 20/09/2012 11:08

Sorry those of you out there are having a tough time. I just thought that after the attack on the camp it might be a relief to have something different to talk about. But what do I know.

The kid is going to have a lifetime of scepticism from bureaucrats whenever he is asked for his place of birth ...

OP posts:
strandednomore · 20/09/2012 11:09

I don't read that BBC story as anyone saying they don't believe her. In the last sentence, Mary Newburn says "But pregnancies do vary enormously..." - she is saying that it's unusual but not impossible.

I also want to know the name!! I would have Bastion as a middle name.

Nationality would depend on parents - we don't know father's nationality but if he is also Fijian, baby will be Fijian. I am pretty sure you don't get British nationality just by being born in the UK any more (but I might be wrong) - you might be able to apply. I was born overseas but have British nationality because my parents were British and he was working at the embassy so that is where I was registered.

SillyBeardyDaddyman · 20/09/2012 11:15

Bloody hell prince Harry's a fast worker isn't he! Grin

prettybird · 20/09/2012 11:16

An old boyfriend of mine's father was a GP. I still remember him telling the story of how he wouldn't have minded so much delivering a 14 year old girl's baby, who hadn't even realised she was pregnant, if he hadn't had to do the same thing for her (year older) sister 12 months before Grin

piprabbit · 20/09/2012 11:17

I think many women have irregular periods. So they are used to not having had any bleeding for several weeks, then they get some spotting or bleeding and just assume it's their period. If they knew they were pregnant and presented with bleeding at their GP or hospital then I'm sure it would be treated as a matter of concern. But if you genuinely think it's your period - well you wouldn't even bother getting medical advice would you?

I've heard several stories about slightly older mums who simply assumed their odd symptoms were the onset of the menopause - only to find out later that it was in fact a baby.

Also, if you thinking about pregnancy as a possibility, then I think it is easy to come up with explanations as to why you're feeling a bit odd and not to think about pregnancy symptoms. You've only got to read the TTC boards to realise that every pg symptom has one or more alternative non-pg causes.

LtEveDallas · 20/09/2012 11:23

SillyBeardyDaddyman Grin Grin Grin. Bet he breathed a sigh of relief that he couldn't be blamed for this one!

Isn't Bastion a name in its own right? (sure I remember a character in a kids book called Balthazar Bastion Bux)

SunWukong · 20/09/2012 11:31

You can't call a kid bastion that's asking for trouble, when they are in school they will be
Called Bastard bastion.

EmmelineGoulden · 20/09/2012 11:32

It could be Sebastion.

I don't think the BBC article is intended to cast doubt on her truthfulness. I think it's just their usual low standards of precision. They quote a German study that found 25 out of 475 women hadn't realized they were pregnant and say that an NCT woman had said in response to that study that some women simply refused to admit to themselves they are pregnant and that some younger women are not aware of the significance of the changes occurring to their bodies. Which isn't the same thing as saying women know and cover it up, and certainly isn't saying that this woman knew.

BBC News website is really bad at putting vaguely related things together. Their journalists often seem to be simply copying and pasting things they find on google with some AP report or a few quotes from an official. Not intentionally provocative, but lazy and lacking in critical thinking and any sort of investigative wherewithal.

Tamoo · 20/09/2012 11:33

I hope the mother is alright. Her whole life has changed unexpectedly and in an instant. Her career and family situation are completely different from what they were a couple of days ago. She must be suffering from shock.

MrsSnaplegs · 20/09/2012 11:35

Not going to comment as Eve has said it all Grin
However naming is easy - Eric - eve should get itWink

LarkinSky · 20/09/2012 11:38

Re the OP's first question: A baby automatically gets the citizenship of your parents (sometimes both parents,sometimes just the father, sometimes just the mother, depending on what country you are looking at, and whether that country allows duel-nationality - not all do).

A baby never automatically gets the citizenship of the country they are born in - it doesn't matter, what matters is what passport your parents hold. So this baby will be Fijian, and if it has a British father, it will also be British - duel national. It would not get Afghan nationality.

For example, it's an urban myth that a foreigner could travel to the UK to give birth, in order for her baby to get British nationality. That baby would only be eligible for British nationality after spending many years as a British resident, and meeting other criteria. Hope that helps!

Original poster
FairPhyllis · 20/09/2012 11:53

Larkin You do get US citizenship if you are born in the States though. That is why Boris Johnson was a US citizen - he was born in New York, although he renounced US citizenship at some point.

OP posts:
LtEveDallas · 20/09/2012 11:54

MrsS Grin

jaffacakehips · 20/09/2012 11:54

Baby chat aside..

Someone not the mother is going to get into a LOT of trouble over this. How the hell it missed in her medical is shocking. I'm guessing now all women in the Armed forces will be POAS before going on tour.

Turns out my father knows one of the doctor who helped deliver the baby. Small world...

FrozenNorthPole · 20/09/2012 11:56

Gosh! DH is deploying there very shortly (army doc) and I can imagine his surprise if faced with a delivery. Really glad to hear that mum and baby are well Grin

frasersmummy · 20/09/2012 11:58

I thought all soldiers had a thorough medical before deploying to active duty ..

clearly not very thorough if it misses a pregnancy.. Grin

FrozenNorthPole · 20/09/2012 11:58

MrsSnap - yes, has to be Eric Smile

TheCalmingManatee · 20/09/2012 12:00

I know it can happen but how can you be pregnant and not know? practically, like? Would it be because she was so fit that her tummy muscles were really strong etc? Maybe she thought she was just putting some weight on?

Anyway - tis lovely news :)

FrozenNorthPole · 20/09/2012 12:00

Yes, of course all soldiers have a medical before deploying! In DH's neck of the woods, all sexually active heterosexual females also POAS.

prettybird · 20/09/2012 12:03

You also don't automatically get your parents' citizenship. I know someone who was born in the UK while her parents were here on behalf of their country's government (don't think they were diplomats; it may have been a trade mission) and they weren't going to let her (a baby! Shock!) back into the country 'cos she couldn't get a passport.

Her dad had to write an extremely snotty but also very funny letter to get her passport approved.

jaffacakehips · 20/09/2012 12:05

My Dad said, the doctors wife had called him and all the doctors were fighting politely discussing who should deliver the baby.

Naturally not a huge call for obstetricians in Camp B! Grin

Something about a TA doctor stepping in who was training to be an obstetrician. But then we got cut off.

LtEveDallas · 20/09/2012 12:08

Hmm, well when I went I was asked "could you be pregnant?" and that was it. We aren't routinely tested at all. If she said no, why would they doubt her.

I wonder if she had the full set of jabs? If she did I would expect she is panicing slightly now. I know I panicked when I first discovered I was pregnant - and that was a full 12 months after I had the Antrax jabs. Fear of the unknown and all that.

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 20/09/2012 12:08

I know a woman who discovered she was pregnant at about the same stage as this soldier gave birth; she had put her symptoms down to working (and playing) hard. I was a bit Hmm until I saw her during her second pregnancy, she really didn't look pregnant at all until she was about to pop.

My first though wrt symptoms was the same at LtEve's (not that I've ever been to Bastion!).

How long had she been out there? POAS do give false negatives, especially if performed too soon or too late. Some people never get BFPs.

Northernlurkerisbackatwork · 20/09/2012 12:09

Assuming this is her first baby i'm not surprised she didn't realise. Very fit woman in a high stress situation - would have put down no periods to that. If you've never felt a baby move then you'd maybe think you just had a really rough tummy thing going on - as a result of being in afghanistan. Personally my boobs were leaking from 20 weeks but lots of people don't get that. she will have been really, really busy too. If you don't have much time to dwell on things it's not as hard as people might think to miss signs.
I think it's a good news story. Hope she can adjust quickly. Her son has one hell of a mother Grin.