Informant38

Teacher Rhonda Schafer gave students in her early childhood development class an unexpected lesson Monday when she gave birth to a daughter in her classroom at Bear Creek Elementary School.

With little time to prepare -- the baby was born about five minutes after the first sign of labor -- Schafer got her students, all ages 3 and 4, out of the classroom and called for the school nurse.

Just that morning, Schafer had told school librarian Cynda Mast that she was due "in about a week or whenever she [the baby] gets ready."

"I guess she got ready this afternoon," Mast said.

The school nurse arrived at the classroom just in time to help Schafer as she gave birth to the baby behind her desk about 2:30 p.m.

"They wrapped her in a co-worker's sweater," Mast said.

Teachers had gathered in the hall outside the classroom by the time Euless emergency medical workers arrived at 2:38 p.m., minutes after the birth, Euless Fire Department officials said.

"The medics were there in time to cut the cord," Fire Department spokeswoman Christine Cox said.

"It was a very nice, quiet environment, if you can imagine that at an elementary school," she said.

Mother and daughter were in "perfect health" at Baylor Medical Center at Grapevine, Cox said.