Emily McCann of Faulconbridge never expected her daughter Ivy’s birth would be so eventful.
Ms McCann was in labour and on the way to Nepean Hospital with her husband Osama Moustafa, dropping her first born, Alfie, 2, along the way to her sister’s home in Blaxland to mind.
Ivy however had other plans.
“We were on our way to Blaxland when my wife Emily was in agony and said the baby was coming out,” he told the Gazette.
“I thought we we’re not going to make it to Springwood. I was just hoping we could get to my sister-in-law Rachel's in Blaxland. Then Rachel and I proceeded to deliver Ivy in the front seat of my Camry with the guidance of the ambulance telephone operator.”
“At one stage I was yelling at the ambulance to “hurry up’ (and get here) but it all happened so quickly ... she talked us through it and Ivy was born, both mum and baby seemed to be alright,” he added.
The events unfolded at 8am on August 4 in the sister’s driveway.
“I wasn’t really thinking,” Ms McCann said. “I just realised I just really needed to push.” In so much pain, Ms McCann was unable to leave the front seat, and when her sister rushed out to meet her, the sister noticed “the head was out”.
Mr Moustafa said his sister-in-law had shown “excellent wicket keeper skills” and both had worked to rub the baby’s back to ensure she was the right colour – pink instead of blue – and was breathing normally.
The ambulance arrived seven minutes after the delivery and once they saw everyone was safe and a few photos and a video were taken for posterity “they calmly took over and transported us to hospital” Mr Moustafa added.
Dad still has the scissors from the ambulance officers that he used to cut the umbilical cord on his 2.87 kg bundle and joked he will be mentioning the special benefits of the car, when he sells it later on Gumtree.
“It’s a perfect vehicle especially for expecting mothers,” he joked.
Ms McCann said she had had a natural birth of about 12 hours with her first child and had never expected a 20 minute one with her second – giving birth just five minutes after her water broke.
“I think she will hear the story from early on and it’s a special connection with Auntie Rachel,” she said.
“I’ll give her the sheepskin covers, she destroyed,” Mr Moustafa added laughing.
Mr Moustafa said the paramedics, John Goodhew and Linda Patterson, who assisted after the event, had advised them that when in the advanced stages of labour the best decision was to stay home and call for help.