A PANIC stricken father helped to deliver his baby girl in to the pyjama bottoms of her mother, just seconds before paramedics arrived.
Annabella Julie Minnican was born in the bathroom of her Barrow Island home, on Sunday at 11.09pm, only 30 minutes after her mother's waters broke.
Mum Siobhan and dad Carl were planning on a hospital birth for child number three but had to re-think their plans after the 7lb 7oz baby made a speedy appearance.
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Mr Minnican, who will be 31, on Saturday said: "We told the hospital we were on our way so they didn't expect us to arrive with a baby.
"It all happened so quickly and was very scary, I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life.
"I've never experienced anything like it, there was blood everywhere.
"The girls were frightened by it and we had to put them in a different room and let them calm down – we were all so panicked."
New mum Siobhan is coping well with her new edition despite the surprise delivery.
She said: "She's healthy, and the doctors said she was absolutely fine.
"She definitely looks like her dad and is very well behaved so far and sleeps a lot."
Baby Annabella is the third girl to be born into the Minnican clan after sisters Grace, two, and Vanessa who turns two this weekend.
"People told me two daughters would be a handful, but three will be a complete handful," said Mr Minnican.
"It's remarkable and people telling me she's the first baby to be born actually on Barrow island", he added.
The family praised the quick response of paramedics who arrived within minutes of being called but sadly missed all the action.
Shortly after giving birth the family headed to the hospital where mum and baby were given the all clear and soon returned to their home on Island Road.
Mrs Minnican, 26, said: "People just can't believe that it happened, and neither can we really."
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