Most siblings are introduced to their new brother or sister well after the birth takes place. The baby is either in a cot beside the mum's bed in the hospital, or in their mother's arms, when they first meet.
They are rarely, if ever, involved in the actual birth. But, for one 12-year-old it was very different.
Jacee Dellapenna, from Mississippi, was very much involved in the whole process of the birth of her baby brother and even helped her dad at the very final stages of the delivery.
Mum, Dede Carraway, shared some of the images on Facebook and they are absolutely precious.
Dede told
Babble that it was a joint idea for Jacee to be part of the birth as she had previously said she wanted to be more involved in the delivery following the birth of her first baby brother. As Dede isn't planning on having any more children she decided to go ahead with it and let her be present.
Dede and her husband believe that children should be able to enjoy the special moment, along with their parents, as birth is a natural process which they think shouldn't be kept private from siblings. Dede now says that Jacee might become a doctor after the experience. "She’s definitely changing interests. She’s very into the whole thing since the birth,” she said.
Speaking to Babble, a family friend added:
"Jacee is a superstar for doing it and she’s so brave. Birth is a very natural process and I thought that people seeing a 12-year-old overwhelmed with happiness delivering a baby herself would help get that message across.
I think it was special with her delivering the baby because she will always have that memory and a bond with that baby. And who knows? She may be a doctor one day.”
