A dad had to “catch” his newborn son while driving as his wife gave birth on the way to hospital.
Mum Jessamy Shreeves, 32, was being driven by husband Keir, when her third child, Orlando, popped out.
The baby, who was two weeks late, made up for lost time with his rapid entrance into the world on the front seat of the family’s Skoda Kodiaq.
Realising Orlando wasn’t going to wait, the couple decided to make a snap detour to Jessamy’s parent’s house, near Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, West Sussex.
As he pulled into the driveway, Keir stuck out his left hand and caught his infant as baby Orlando was born.
Friends have since joked he’s a really “hands on” dad.
The mum said: “I was hanging out of the car window and it was still moving while Keir was driving with his right hand and catching the baby.
“Because I was leaning out the window I was kneeling and although I was trying not to push, I was.
“I looked down and saw that there were two little eyes looking out.
“Keir immediately shoved out his left hand and literally caught him.
“I pulled back in from the window and picked him up off the seat.”
Just three-and-a-half hours before the birth last week, things had been “chilled” with Jessamy taking a bath after having a curry.
She said: “We upgraded to a Skoda Kodiaq because we’d heard it was such a good family car with space for all three car seats – we didn’t realise we’d need it to double as a birthing suite.
“A few people have been asking me if my husband is a doctor. the funny thing is that he will be in a month – but a doctor of philosophy because he’s finishing his PhD.
Keir, who is an associate vicar at St Peter’s Church, Brighton, said: “Friends keep congratulating me for my ‘hands on’ parenting approach, and the midwives suggested I join the profession, but Jessamy is the one who is amazing.
“We’re both so grateful to God for our speedy little son and his safe, albeit unconventional, delivery.”
She then had to unhook the umbilical cord from around the baby’s neck and, after yelping, the nine-pound baby started breastfeeding.
Jessamy is the daughter of the High Sheriff of West Sussex, Davina Irwin-Clark, whose house they arrived at.
She added: “Luckily my parents are very calm in a crisis and they went and called an ambulance and then dad brought the phone out to us so that the call handler could ask us to check his airways.”
Three paramedics arrived and checked mother and baby, before taking them to the Princess Royal for tests, after Keir had cut the umbilical cord.
Jessamy and the baby, Orlando Shreeves, are now safely back home and doing well.