Watch this triplet born ‘en caul’ (and not quite ready to face the world!)
‘En caul’ births are very rare, so this amazing case where two of three triplets were born this way speedily caught our eye.
Born tucked up – in the birthing sac
There’s just a 1 in 80,000 chance of a baby being born ‘en caul’ – that is, still tucked inside the amniotic sac.
Dr Rodrigo da Rosa Filho shared footage of one of the ‘en caul’ triplets he delivered on Instagram, and it’s really jaw-dropping to witness.
Not only was this baby very slow to wake up to the outside world, but she was also striking a pretty amazing pose.
Baby Adeline had her legs folded up in front of her body, toes touching forehead. The umbilical cord is snaking past her neck and her little fists are tucked tightly under her chest.
We’re not gonna lie, it doesn’t look comfy at all, but when you’re keeping company in utero with two siblings there’s little other option!
This video offers an amazing glimpse at how compact and neat babies need to be in those last months of pregnancy – and a fascinating view of those minutes after birth when this particular baby was not quite out in the world. And who can blame her?!
Read more about ‘en caul’ births
- Miracle birth! Mum delivers her own en caul baby in her car
- Eleven beautiful babies born in their birth sac
- 5 incredible videos of en caul births
Welcome sleepy head
In a translation shared on Instagram, the doctor said that birthing one of the triplets – a little boy- was a total joy, but then this little girl arrived also still encased in her amniotic sac (and fast asleep!) and they knew they’d hit the rare odds jackpot.
It took her quite some time to wake up to the world, despite plenty of gentle encouragement.
“Yesterday we birthed the triplets!” Dr Rodrigo da Rosa Filho explained. “And Joaquim was born veiled (when the waters/sac does not break). We were delighted. But then came Adeline … she was also born en caul, and left us all admiring her as she slept soundly. We stayed (that way) for seven minutes observing her behaviour as if it were still inside her belly. It’s the magic of life.”
The majority of ‘en caul’ babies are born early, and doctors say being immersed in the birth sac protects fragile babies from strong contractions. Some experts believe that planned ‘en caul’ deliveries for preemie babies could have a whole host of benefits, ensuring vulnerable infants enter the world as gently as possible.