'You can get straight to work,' Dagmar says as I take over her shift. 'She had four centimetres of dilation an hour ago, I promised you'll come back their way in a moment after the handover,' she says as she pushes a cup of coffee into my hands. Apparently I'm going to need it, I think. During the handover, I finish my coffee. Once I have all my things in the car, I leave for the specified address.

On arrival, the eldest daughter opens the door. "The baby is coming today!" she says cheerfully and hops ahead of me into the living room. On the sofa, madam sits quietly sighing away her contractions. The husband is in the kitchen frying an omelette. He is wearing a tank top that says 24/7. There is also a training bike next to the dining table with a towel with the same text. The man sees that I am looking at it and indicates that he is always ready to be on his feet 24/7. The children are sitting at their croissant and cheese at the kitchen table. 'They are about to go to grandma's,' the man tells me as he decorates his omelette with bacon and cheese.  

On the couch, I do an external examination, measure blood pressure and listen to the baby's heartbeat. 'I still have to eat!' I hear the man say from the kitchen. 'Then you just eat your plate quietly first,' I say, smiling, and then ask her to go upstairs to do the checks. Slowly she walks upstairs. The fluid in her ankles makes climbing stairs visibly more difficult than usual. Once upstairs, I do an internal examination and notice seven centimetres of dilation already. While Mrs gets dressed, I walk downstairs. 'We're in a bit more of a hurry,' I tell the husband and children. 'She has seven centimetres and I have already arranged a place in hospital. 'So soon?' the man asks as he almost chokes. The children look at me perplexed. 'OK, whoever has a bag ready first with stuff to take to Grandma's!' I shout. Both children shoot off the table and immediately fill their backpacks with books, craft supplies and a Nintendo switch. 'Ready!', says the son after two minutes. 'This man is definitely ready,' I say with a wink at the boy and hand him a box.

The man takes his children one street away and is back within five minutes. 'I help Madam into her slippers and ask if they have everything with them. 'The bag has been in the car for weeks,' says the man as he looks around searchingly. Then his gaze lingers at the end of the living room. 'Oh yes, that also needs to come along and he points to two large cardboard boxes containing a Maxi-Cosi and a base with isofix for in the car. 

As his wife sighs away the next contraction, I don't think twice. 'You put your wife in the car and I'll take care of this. Throw open the boot!" I say quickly. I grab the 2 boxes from the corner and pull open the cardboard. Both devices are in plastic and covered in cards. I quickly pull off the plastic and cards and pick up the 2 items under my arm. When I get outside, I put everything in the boot. 'Those have to go in the back seat,' the man says dryly. 'Shall we get that baby born in hospital first and then get busy installing the car seat?' I ask back dryly. He chuckles and nods at me. Quickly we drive after each other to the hospital. 

Once she arrives at the delivery rooms, her waters break and half an hour later she has a beautiful daughter in her arms. When Mrs is ready to go home after her lunch and shower, I beckon to the husband. 'Shall we get everything ready in the car?" I ask him. He nods gratefully. 

As we walk to his car, he opens the boot and pulls everything towards the back seat. 'How does this work again?' he asks me. I look at the base that serves as the undercarriage for the Maxi-cosi and study the device's buttons. 'You don't do this every day do you?' the man asks, laughing. I press the buttons on the side panel but little happens. After taking a quick look at the manual, I see that I am missing a button and then smoothly attached the base to the isofix bars of his back seat. 'No for me this was eight years ago too,' I explain, laughing. 'But I was 24/7 ready then,' I joke to him. 'You probably think I was too but today with a little more challenge'. Laughing, we walk back together to his wife and daughter.