Three rookie Ottawa police officers had to contend with an emergency bundle of joy this week as a woman unexpectedly gave birth at a major city intersection.

Police received a 911 call late Monday night that a woman was about to give birth. Instead of waiting at home, the expectant father decided to drive his wife to the hospital.

The woman's labour became so intense that the couple had to pull over to the side of the road at Montreal Road and Vanier Parkway. A passing motorist flagged down a police cruiser and reported a woman was giving birth in the front seat.

Constables Lisa Brogan, Adrian Benjamin and Carissa Beck were the first three officers to arrive on the scene. The three were from the same recruit class and only on their third shift on their own after shadowing more senior officers for the past three months.

But another new face was destined to arrive on Monday night.

"I actually saw the head, and the father was holding the head, and he's yelling at me, 'The head's coming out!'," the 20-year-old Brogan told CBC News.

"And so I said to the woman, 'Keep pushing.' And the entire baby came out. At that point, the father was holding the baby and the umbilical cord was all exposed, and we were trying to find a blanket to keep the little one warm."

The officers said they considered wrapping the newborn in a hazardous-materials suit just before a blanket was found.

The baby girl and her parents were taken to a nearby hospital while Benjamin followed behind to make sure they were all okay. The mother and baby are doing fine.

"Well, this is the stuff we dream about, you know?" Benjamin said. "Becoming a police officer, we look out to help people. Could be [everything from] helping a little kid across the street to giving birth. Amazing feeling."

None of the constables learned about delivering babies at police college. But after this experience, they said it might not be a bad idea to offer such training.

"I've had officers that have been on 30 years say to me, 'I only wish I could deliver a baby,' " Brogan added.