It was not exactly the most relaxing weekend Conor Shaughnessy has experienced since joining Pompey over the summer.
The trip from the south coast to Cumbria is a slog at the best of times and on this occasion, the defender was especially anxious about being away from home.
His daughter was already a few days overdue when the squad set off, but thankfully Etta waited until he was back home before entering the world.
Not that those fans who also made the journey would have noticed anything different, with Shaughnessy helping the Blues keep another clean sheet in a 1-0 victory.
The centre-back said: “As soon as the fixtures came out we looked at who we were playing around the due date and I couldn’t believe it.
“The trip to Carlisle was a bit stressful, but we got the three points and I was back just in time for her arrival.
"As soon as the fixtures came out we looked at who we were playing around the due date and I couldn’t believe it."
“I’m loving life and we’ve got a busy little house. Everyone’s happy and healthy, so I can’t complain. We’re just getting used to the midnight feeds again.
“There’s a bit of a baby boom at the minute, so there are happy times all round in the squad right now.”
Pompey will look to keep their promotion quest on track when they make the shorter sojourn to Charlton this weekend.
Shaughnessy said: “Of course you’re looking at the table and what other sides have done, but we try to focus on the next game – it’s what we’ve done all season and why we’re where we are.
“Promotion would be massive and I think you can see what it means to everyone on the pitch every weekend because we give everything.
“There were also some brilliant signings in January and they’ve been able to fit straight into the team.
“It’s brought a bit more energy into the group and the gaffer has made a few tweaks, so there are different things coming together.”