Bobby Jindal dons midwife's role

NEW YORK: Indian American politician Bobby Jindal, who has become the proud father of a third child, himself played the doctor's role aiding his wife give birth to a healthy eight-pound baby.

The Louisiana Republican Congressman's wife went into labour early on Tuesday morning with hardly any time to call the ambulance. Slade Ryan Jindal was born at 3:25 am in the Jindals' bedroom before the ambulance could arrive.

"I called 911, but before the paramedics could arrive, I had already delivered a beautiful baby boy. Although, I was proud of my role in delivering the baby, to be honest, my wife did most of the work," Jindal said in his website.

According to a Fox News report, Jindal, followed instructions by phone from a nurse at the doctor's office, put the baby in the arms of his wife, Supriya, and tied off the umbilical cord with a shoestring.

"His dream in life was to be a doctor. He kind of got to play that role today," the report quoted Jindal spokesman Trey Williams as saying.

The baby, two days premature, weighed in at a healthy eight pounds and two ounces, and measured 21 inches long.

The Jindals' other two children - daughter Selia Elizabeth, four, and son Shaan Robert, two - were in the house and slept through the ordeal, Williams said.