Mother gives birth in Nissan Qashqai with baby unable to wait until they got to hospital

Edd revealed how he had been on the phone to 999 with the call handler talking him through the process, but when he saw Darcy's head appear, he knew that the ambulance would not be arriving and he would be delivering their new baby himself.

Karla, 35, and a financial crime consultant at Phoenix, said her waters broke at around 3.50am on Wednesday, February 7.

The couple went to Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) where they were seen and given the option to stay and wait, but without a bed because the hospital was so busy.

They decided to return home and "ride out the labour" with plans to return in time to give birth.

Karla's mum had come round to look after their first-born Finley, six, and make sure he got to school if they needed to dash back to the hospital.

For Karla she had not been expecting a rapid delivery after spending seven hours giving birth to Finley.

But having only arrived back at 7am it wasn't long before they were out of the door again.

Karla said: "Obviously Finley had school that day so he came downstairs and was having breakfast on the sofa and there's me walking round having random contractions with my mum frantically writing down the time I was having them.

"About 7.50am things really started happening and I said 'if we do not get to the hospital then I am having this baby on the carpet'."

Karla explained how the dash to the hospital saw them hit 'every red light', stuck in rush hour traffic – with Edd pleading for her to hold on until they reached the hospital.

She said: "I was having contractions on the way and I had another by the Morrisons in Lawley. At this point I was saying 'this baby is going to be born in the car' and Edd was saying 'we are five minutes from the hospital, please can you just wait'.

"I said 'no' and he rang the ambulance – it was rush hour, there was traffic everywhere, every traffic light seemed to be red.

"I said 'you need to get off the road' because the ambulance was going to need a street name to find us.

"He managed to pull up on the side of the road – I said this baby is going to be born and the next contraction she was born and Edd caught her as she came out before she hit the floor."

For Karla she still had no idea if it was a boy or a girl – and she also told how one kind passer-by had turned up with blankets.

She also spoke of her husband's joy when the ambulance arrived – leaping up and down to flag them down.

She said: "At this point Edd knew she was a girl but I had not noticed and I was going 'what is it, what is it'."

"As that happened a really kind lady came over, we don’t know if she was on the way to work or walking a dog – but she was passing blankets to us.

"Then the ambulance turned around the corner and I don’t think Edd has ever been so pleased to see a blue-light vehicle. He was jumping around all over the place trying to flag them down.

For Edd, 35, he said: "It was almost surreal."

He said: "There were moments I was thinking ‘am I really doing this – is this really happening’.

"When I was on the phone to 999 saying this baby is coming and then she popped out and I was saying ‘I can see the head’ and I was thinking I have got to deliver this now because they are not getting here in time.

"Then one more contraction and Darcy flew straight out and I was able to catch her.

"I could see her steaming because it was only three degrees and I was just thinking I have got to keep her warm. I used a towel to clean her and dry her and then got rid of that and wrapped her in a blanket."

He added: "I have never been so relieved to see the ambulance coming round the corner – I was jumping up and down and making sure they saw us.

"I said “it’s over to you guys now”.

"Then I was stood on the side of the road, mum and baby were in the ambulance and I was thinking ‘are they okay’ I didn’t want to knock and eventually one of the paramedics – it felt like a lifetime – they got out and said ‘everything is good with mum and baby – you did a good job – are you okay to drive and follow us to hospital?'."

Edd, Karla and Darcy-Anne – who were still attached by her umbilical cord, arrived at Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) by 9am, with dad able to cut the cord.

With everything fine at the hospital they were back home for 3.30pm with Ed able to do the school run to pick up Finley – and introduce the youngster to his new sister.

Karla offered her thanks to the ambulance service and the women and children's unit at PRH.

She said: "The ambulance service were so wonderful – they were with us within ten minutes and obviously the women and children's unit and our midwife looked after us so well, they were brilliant."