BABY Joanne Rose was so impatient to arrive in the world that she made her entrance in the family car!

Joe Jackson was driving wife Laura to hospital after her waters broke early in the morning ... but the baby couldn’t wait to grace the maternity ward.

With Joe’s sister in place within minutes to take care of their daughters, Erica, six, and Layla, four, the Jacksons, of Horwich, hit the road at 6.10am on Wednesday.

But by the time the pair had reached the M61, the baby’s head was showing and by junction five - at 6.24am - Joanne Rose was born.

This has been an extremely stressful time for the family. Laura, 33, has suffered three miscarriages over the last two years and two weeks ago her grandmother died of coronavirus.

Joe, 37, who has been placed on furlough from his job as a HGV driver, said: “It’s been a very difficult pregnancy for my wife. We were just hoping to get to 20 weeks then Covid came which became another worry.

“It’s been very traumatic, but we finally got some good news out of it all.”

Joe and Laura kept their cool as Joanne Rose arrived weighing 7lb 2oz, thanking their knowledge of past pregnancies and farming experience for helping them through.

Joe's family still own a farm in Deane, and Laura grew up on a farm in Coppull.

He said: “It was a farming instinct. We’ve seen animals give birth before on their own. It’s natural.

“I could see the baby’s head was facing the right way and she wasn’t choking, and when I heard her crying that told me she was okay. I just thought I need to keep going to hospital.

“Laura rang the hospital when we were close and they said they would meet us outside.

“They checked Laura and the baby and we were home by 12.30pm. Laura is very strong.”

He added: “We are over the moon. They are both doing really well.”

Joe has also praised Laura for being a stay at home mum saying: “It’s like full time work, I’ve got so much respect for her and other stay at home mums, especially during this period when they’re not at school.

“It’s very hard work.”

Joe, Laura and their three daughters are now relaxing at home and trying to get back to normal.

“It’s been very hectic but finally there’s some happiness at the end of it all,” said Joe.