A Northern Ireland Unionist politician skipped work Wednesday morning, to deliver his baby son in the family bathroom.

The Northern Ireland assembly member, John McCallister acted as a midwife this week, when his wife ran out of time and had to deliver their son in the family home early Wednesday, the Belfast Telegraph reports.

"There was no stopping him," McCallister (40) told the Telegraph.

The South Down representative was talked through the emergency procedure by medical staff on the phone after his wife Jane began experiencing strong contractions a week before her due date.

"She just started to get contractions and I thought it was not too bad but it was getting worse.

"I rang the hospital to tell them we were coming...then phoned for the ambulance and there was a crew on its way but the baby arrived into my arms."

The mother and baby Harry James were safely transported to a local hospital after the delivery.

"It was certainly a different start to the day from what I was expecting," said the father of two.

"He came very quickly, it was a lovely moment, maybe not the most glamorous of locations, being born on the bathroom floor," he added.