As a midwife, Emily Dial has lots of experience delivering babies under a variety of circumstances, but likely none will ever compare to the moment she delivered her own 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 via C-section – see the C-section photos.

“It was a perfect moment. It was probably one of the most perfect moments of my life,” the Kentucky mom said, adding that the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦’s gender surprised her the most. “I really wasn’t thinking about my belly being wide open. I was just like, ‘Oh my God! This really is a girl.’”

The amazing scene was captured by photographer Sarah Hill, who had used Dial as her midwife before. Sharing the photos on her Facebook page, Hill says of Dial, “She was meant to bring babies into this world and didn’t let a little thing like a C-section stop her from delivering her own! To watch her colleagues rally around her and make this happen was so beautiful.”

To make it happen, Dial stayed in “professional” mode as much as possible during the delivery by scrubbing in and wearing gloves.

“I had the [plastic] drape in front of my face, and, trying to maintain sterile technique, I couldn’t kiss Emma,” Dial says. “I just kept bringing her up to my face and looking at her, like, ‘I just want you in my arms so much.’”

The moment was especially significant for Dial, whose 4-year-old daughter and late son were 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 during C-sections she was unable to assist. (Beyond, of course, the role of mama.)

Here’s what it looks like when a mom delivers her own 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 via C-section.

And although delivering your own 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 via C-section is not for everyone, Dial says she hopes her experience sends an important message to other women who have had cesarean 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡s.

“You can still have a great experience,” she says. “It doesn’t mean you have to just be lying on a table. You can still be a part of your 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡. Even if you’re not pulling your 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 out, you can still be an active part of your 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 and have a great experience.”