You're probably planning to give birth at a hospital or birthing center, but what if you can't make it there on time? Here's what to have on hand in your emergency birth kit.

We've all read those news stories about a woman who gave birth in an Uber on the way to the hospital and thought: "There's no way that will happen to me!" But what if you do go into labor when you're least expecting it? Fortunately, giving birth in an unintended location does not happen very often—less than one percent of deliveries.

Even so, delivery at home or on the road can happen if you experience precipitous labor, a bad snowstorm or natural disaster, or even a lot of traffic. That's why you need to compile an emergency birth kit full of necessities, which you should toss into the trunk of your car, just in case. Some babies will inevitably be born in the car, so these kits are good for those circumstances. 

Here's what you need to add to your emergency birth kit packing list:

Items for Labor and Delivery

Cell Phone Charger.  You'll want to make sure your phone has enough power to call 911 or your doctor, who can talk your partner through the delivery process.

 Shower Curtain and Clean Sheets.  To create a delivery area in your home, cover your mattress with a shower curtain and then cover the shower curtain with a clean sheet.  If you're on the floor, have someone help you slide the curtain and sheet under you.

 Soap/Alcohol and Nitrile Gloves.  It's important for your partner, or whoever's delivering the baby, to have clean hands. You might also want to include an alcohol-based hand sanitizer in case you don't have access to water.

Dry Towels/Swaddling Cloth.  After the baby is delivered and placed on the mom's bare chest and tummy in skin-to-skin contact, you'll want to use a towel to dry the baby off. Once the baby is cleaned off a bit, you'll use another dry towel (or swaddling cloth) to keep him warm.

 Bulb Syringe and Saline.  Your partner may need to use it to help clean out baby's airway. The healthcare provider who is talking you through the birth will let you know if you need to use it after determining if your baby is breathing properly.

Shoelaces and Scissors/Trauma Shears.  Although you don't have to cut the cord if help is on the way, if you're cut off without access to services, you can do it yourself. First, boil the shoelaces and the scissors for 20 minutes, or if you can't, wash them with soap and water, or soak in alcohol. There's no rush, and you can wait until the cord stops pulsing. Tie two shoe strings around the umbilical cord, one about three inches from baby's tummy and the other about two inches from the first knot—about five inches from the baby's tummy. Then, "cut between the two shoe strings.

Alcohol and Cotton Balls.  Alcohol is useful for sterilizing in the absence of boiling water (like for your scissors to cut the cord, or even to clean your hands), and you can also clean off the baby's umbilical cord with alcohol on a cotton ball.

Garbage Bags.  Wait for the placenta to come out on its own. Then, put the placenta in a garbage bag, and take the placenta to the hospital with you. When your partner is ready to clean the delivery space, with gloves on, roll up the soiled sheet, curtain and towels, and put them into another bag.

Emergency Birth Kit for Mom and Baby

Sanitary Pads, Cold Pack (the kind you snap to make cold), and Pain Medicine.  After delivery of the placenta, Have your partner firmly rub your lower stomach to slow the bleeding. Still, you'll need to wear pads, and a cold pack will help with any discomfort in the vaginal area. Tylenol can also reduce the pain.

 Baby Blanket/Swaddling Cloth, Hat, and Diapers.  Keep the baby warm with a blanket and hat, and don't forget the diapers! Mom should keep holding the baby close as well. Skin-to-skin contact also keeps baby warm, and helps to regulate their heart, oxygen and respirator oxygen saturation rates.  Also, babies will be calmer and cry less.

 Feeding the Baby.  You don't have to include formula in your kit—even if you weren't planning on breastfeeding, in an emergency situation it has benefits for both mom and baby. Breastfeeding causes mom to the release a hormone called oxytocin, which aids in uterine contraction and decreases mom’s blood loss to help prevent postpartum hemorrhage.  This is a huge plus in this setting. Breastfeeding also allows babies to get food, and it's a great way for mom and baby to bond.