A woman stuck in heavy traffic in San Francisco went into labor and gave birth to a healthy baby girl, local authorities have said.

The San Francisco fire department said in a statement that a couple had been snarled in heavy congestion near the city’s Golden Gate Park when they were forced to pull over due to the imminent birth.

The couple – whom authorities have only named as Karollyn and Nate – had called emergency services. But those first responders also became stuck in traffic and had to eventually proceed to the couple by foot.

However, by then, a passing doula, Katie Higgins, had stopped to assist Karollyn and Nate with the birth.

Though unconventional, and far from ideal, the delivery of a baby girl went successfully.

“Both mother and child were transported to a local hospital in good condition,” the San Francisco fire department’s statement said. “We want to congratulate the family and welcome this new child to the world.”

The San Francisco Standard news outlet quoted Higgins as describing the experience as “so surreal”.

“We were so fortunate to have the support that we did, especially some medical professionals that were sitting in the same traffic,” the family said in a statement shared through the ambulance company American Medical Response and quoted by the Standard. “Most notably, a doula that helped coach Karollyn through the process until the paramedics arrived.”