A quick-acting dad helped deliver his own baby daughter, after she arrived in a hurry just as nurses stepped out of the delivery suite.

And photographer Jennifer Mason was there to capture the incredible moment.

“This family knew that they would probably deliver their baby early, due to past history of preterm births,” Jennifer explained to Mouths of Mums. “All of their other kiddos came early and this baby was no exception! They were very prepared for all the things that could happen, but I’m not sure that they expected this to happen.”

Jennifer, who is also the co-founder of Birth Becomes You, says her client started having uncomfortable contractions at around 34 weeks, and mother’s instinct told her the baby wasn’t far away.

“The parents drove an hour to the hospital of their choice and my client’s water broke shortly after they got out of the car. Once she told me her water broke, I knew we would have a baby pretty soon. I arrived at the hospital shortly after they got into their room. Things were a little chaotic when I arrived.

“The hospital staff was busy and it took a while for them to get to their room. After their intake and getting situated in bed, the nurse stepped out for a moment and I quickly turned down the lights. I could see that my client was working through intense contractions very quietly. I remember thinking that this baby would come soon, but I didn’t realise it would be THIS soon.

“Just a few moments later, my client had one BIG contraction. At first, I thought it was just a big contraction and I didn’t expect to hear what she said. Next, my client said to her husband, ‘Catch the baby!’. We looked down and their daughter was here! Her husband and I helped pull down her mesh underwear and dad caught his daughter and gently handed her to his wife.

“Their little girl was crying right away, we all knew she was OK immediately. She pinked right up and it was clear that she was doing great, even though she was early.”

Jennifer says it was a truly beautiful moment, and one she was grateful to experience. “Mum and dad were super happy and excited to meet their baby. At the time of birth, I was trying to help my client, while taking photos and I also called the nurses station. When I said to the person on the other end, `The baby is here’ they were very confused.

“A few seconds later though, the room filled with nurses, OBs, the midwife, and peds staff! It was very chaotic, and in the photos you can see the moment when the door opened and people came rushing in! Mum and dad were enjoying their moment though, and that was the most important part to me.”

The intense birth was followed by calm family snuggles, with the trio heading home just four days later.