A Canadian mother delivered her baby while sleeping, only to wake up and discover her newborn son beside her. The 27-year-old mother of three shared her unusual birth experience in a viral video, detailing the circumstances that led to her missing the actual delivery.
Carolina Moreno was admitted to a Canadian hospital for a medical induction due to testing positive for Group B Streptococcus, a bacterium that can cause severe illness in newborns if transmitted during childbirth. She was administered antibiotics before her labor could begin, as she has a history of delivering quickly. Moreno described her cervix as "really thin" and her contractions as progressing rapidly.
After receiving an epidural, Moreno recalled a nurse suggesting she press a button for an additional dose to manage discomfort. She then fell asleep, only to be awakened by a nurse who was having trouble locating the baby's heartbeat on the monitor. Moreno became more alert as the nurse searched, and when she adjusted her position, she felt something on the bed. She initially assumed it was the placenta, but the nurse discovered the baby lying face down and unresponsive.
"I just panic… that’s everything a newborn shouldn’t be," Moreno stated. Her husband, who had woken up during the commotion, initially thought he had missed the birth but soon realized the entire family had. The nurse was able to stimulate the baby, who then began to cry and breathe.
Midwife Aliza Carr told news.com.au that such an event is "incredibly uncommon." She suggested that a combination of a dense epidural block, leading to a lack of sensation from the abdomen down, extreme exhaustion, and a fast second stage of labor likely contributed to the situation. Carr noted that mothers are often exhausted from labor and potentially sleepless nights, and undergoing an induction with medications can add to this fatigue.
Carr also highlighted the potential emotional toll of missing the initial moments of birth. "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," she explained. She added that missing these moments can lead to feelings of fear, guilt, shock, and grief for the mother, even if the baby is healthy.