He then asked one of his daughters to bring a “normal” pair of scissors – a regular pair they found at home – which they washed before using to cut and tie the newborn’s umbilical cord. They also used a metal bowl to hold the placenta.

“We managed to shower, then went to the hospital, taking our own sweet time,” he continued.

At that point, Lim couldn’t help but react in shock, exclaiming, “Still take your own sweet time?”

When they finally arrived at the hospital and saw the gynaecologist, they were promptly scolded.

“The gynae scolded us a bit for safety and hygiene reasons, and the baby was kept in the observation room for about three days,” he said.

While Hassan acknowledged that it makes for a memorable story, he added, “But it’s not something that I’m proud of because of safety reasons, that’s not something I’d encourage others to do.”

His youngest may already be four, but it’s clear Hassan remembers her birth as vividly as ever.

He went on to suggest that the unusual experience might be why she’s especially attached to him.

“I think [it’s because] you caught her lah,” Sarah chimed in.

“Yes, probably because I caught her like that right, now she’s really really clingy,” he agreed, adding that the whole experience was “quite scary”.

“Yah, I cannot imagine, my goodness,” echoed Lim, who couldn’t resist cheekily praising Hassan for the “good save” and a job well done.

This story was originally published in 8Days.

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