A laboring mother has delivered her baby while sleeping, missing the birth of her own son.
In a now-viral video, the woman detailed the circumstances that would be unimaginable to any mother.
The 27-year-old mother-of-three had been called into a hospital in Canada for a medical induction.
She had tested positive with Group B Streptococcus — a common bacterium found in the digestive and vaginal tracts that can cause severe illness if transmitted during childbirth.
Carolina Moreno was given antibiotics before her waters could be broken and labor could begin.
“They didn’t do anything until I was properly covered by the antibiotics, because I do have a history of delivering fast,” she explained in the clip.
She recounted her cervix being “really thin,” her contractions moving quickly and a “really uncomfortable” labor.
Once the epidural was administered, she remembers it taking some time to feel relief, with a nurse recommending she push a button to administer an extra dose.
She soon drifted off to sleep after finding comfort for just under two hours, before the nurse returned to check the baby on the monitor.
Moreno quickly realized the nurse was struggling to find the baby’s heartbeat, triggering her to worry.
She became more alert from her sleepy state, offering to change positions for the nurse.
“When I turn on my back, her hands are still on my stomach, and that’s when she points out that my stomach feels really weird,” the mother explained.
“Now looking back at it, obviously yeah, my stomach was empty.”
Her mind had taken her to the worst-case scenario, leading her to believe “my baby’s dead.”
Upon adjusting her legs, she felt something on the bed, which Moreno assumed would be her placenta.
But when the nurse lifted back the covers, she found the baby lying face down and silent.
“I just panic… that’s everything a newborn shouldn’t be,” the mother said.
She also said her husband, who had woken up in the aftermath, hadn’t realized what was going on and instead entered excited dad mode.
“He thought he’d missed the birth. He didn’t realize we all missed the birth,” she said.
While screaming and confused, the mother watched the nurse pick up the baby and rub him; she was able to get the youngster to cry and begin breathing.
Moreno credited the nurse for her quick thinking and calmness throughout.
Alongside the almost ten-minute story clip, the mother also posted a video from the delivery room to social media, garnering 1.7 million views.
Her comment section was completely unable to believe the tale.
“How does it feel to have my dream delivery — congratulations,” a user wrote.
“This is my dream birth,” another said.
A third sympathized, “Everyone is commenting about how much they want this and making jokes, but girl, I am so sorry. That must have been traumatic and disorienting and confusing! Congratulations on your baby! I hope you both are doing well.”
Midwife weighs in
Aussie midwife Aliza Carr told news.com.au the experience is “incredibly uncommon” and it’s not something she’s personally encountered in her career.
“What’s likely happened here is a mom with a very dense epidural block, meaning she had little to no feeling from her abdomen down, who was exhausted, dozed off, and had a very fast second stage of labor,” Carr explained.
“By the time a mom gets an epidural, she’s already been through hours of labor and maybe a sleepless night before that,” Carr continued.
“This mom had also gone through an induction, so she’s on Syntocinon, and she’s having antibiotics. Her body has been through a lot, so the exhaustion once she finally had that relief makes complete sense.”
She also expresses the emotional impact of missing the first few moments of birth can have a lasting effect on a mother.
“As a midwife, I can’t stand the comment ‘at least the baby’s healthy.’ In birth, we don’t just need or want a healthy baby. There is so much more going on than that,” Carr pointed out.
“Speaking personally, I suffered a lot of birth trauma myself, even with all the knowledge I have. Birth is a deeply primal experience, and when things don’t go to plan, or the way you envisioned, and sometimes even when they do, there can be really significant mental hardship around it.
“This mom likely felt fear, guilt, shock and grief for the moment she missed, and my heart goes out to her.”
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