The birth of one's own child is one of the most, if not the most, memorable moments in life.
Singaporean couple Helmi and Hafidzah can certainly attest to that, especially after the birth of their newborn baby daughter on April 12, 2021.
It was no ordinary birth, but it was handled calmly and professionally by everyone involved (i.e. Hafidzah, Helmi, and the taxi driver).
Hafidzah had given birth to the baby at the back seat of a taxi while en route to the National University Hospital (NUH).
Helmi shared the bizarre experience on his Instagram page.
Showed signs of labour after midnight
After midnight on April 12, Helmi explained that Hafidzah had begun showing mild signs of labour.
However, she told him that she felt okay. So Helmi thought nothing of it and fell asleep at 3am.
At about 5:30am, Hafidzah woke him up.
Her contractions were getting intense, said Helmi.
However, she remained calm and there was no sign of panic.
She also said that she wanted to go to the hospital after her morning prayers.
Situation got more serious
But 15 minutes later, Hafidzah came out of the bathroom and told Helmi that they had to leave immediately.
Things started to get more serious soon after that.
Contractions were intense while in the taxi
At 6:12am, while they were in the taxi en route to NUH, Helmi said that his wife's contraction started to get more intense.
The taxi driver, having noticed the urgency of the situation, continued to drive as fast as possible.
In that moment, Helmi decided to check a contraction timer app on his phone which suggested that his wife was already in the final stage of labour.
At 6:15am, Helmi decided to hold Hafidzah's hand and recite some prayers to calm her down.
Two minutes later, Hafidzah suddenly lifted her body up and said that "it’s time".
Helmi said that he immediately went into "midwife mode" when he saw that the baby was coming out.
Within minutes, Helmi was holding onto his new baby girl.
They eventually reached the hospital at 6:40am.
Hafidzah and her daughter spent one night in the hospital.
They are both doing well now.
Taxi driver was "calm, supportive and kind"
Speaking to Mothership, Helmi said that the taxi driver was very professional throughout the event.
"Not once did he show any signs of disgruntle or annoyance for what was happening," added Helmi.
He also highlighted that the driver was "calm, supportive and kind".
"Apart from his professionalism, it also shows how Singaporeans appreciate one another regardless of race and religion. Putting value of humanity above his personal needs, I was touched by his spirit of selflessness.
[...]
He even congratulated us and wished us 'Selamat Hari Raya'."
Mental resilience from wife
Helmi also emphasised his wife's resilience while they were in the taxi.
He said that she was able to understand the situation she was in and kept things under control as much as she could.
"Ramadan joy"
Helmi referred to the entire experience as his "Ramadan joy".
He told Mothership:
"As Muslims, we believe that Ramadan is the month full of blessings. We regard our newborn as one of the blessing signs for us as [a] family this Ramadan, which brings extra joy to us.
We are grateful that she came and was delivered without any complications despite the unusual ordeal (in a moving vehicle)."
Helmi also shared a picture of his daughter's birth certificate, which has now immortalised the experience forever.
Helmi and Hafidzah have yet to name their baby daughter because it is a customary practice in Islam to name a newborn baby on their seventh day on Earth.
Helmi said that he hopes to see his daughter grow up to be a resilient woman, the very same trait that facilitated her birth.
All images courtesy of Helmi.