Shocked mum reveals how she thought she had ‘given birth to an alien’ after her son was born inside his amniotic sac
THIS is the incredible moment a baby boy was born still inside his amniotic sac — making his shocked mother think she had delivered an “alien”.
The protective membrane surrounding little Finley Grigg in the womb was supposed to burst during labour — commonly known as the waters breaking.
But it held together as doctors performed a C-section — stunning everyone present including mum Zoe Robinson.
She told The Sun: “After the surgeons cut me open, one of them said, ‘Oh my God,’ which obviously made me panic.
“He then told me the baby was still in his sac. It was a bit of a shock, to be honest.
“I looked down and it was like a little alien baby because he was such a big baby too. I burst into tears.”
‘IT WAS BIZARRE…BUT AMAZING’
Zoe’s fiance Stuart Grigg captured the amazing moments on camera — from 10lb 9oz Finley being pulled out to the doctors taking off the sac.
Teacher Zoe, 29, said of her hefty son: “They just left him there in the sac for a few minutes — apparently it’s good for them. We just sat and watched him. It was incredible to see . . . bizarre but amazing.”
Warehouse assistant Stuart, also 29, added: “Zoe can be a bit squeamish but it didn’t bother me at all. Luckily she couldn’t see too much of it.
“They let him stay in the sac for about two minutes before bursting it.
“It was amazing to see him in there. It’s a special moment anyway but this made it more incredible.
“He does look quite strange in the photos, though — it was a bit crazy.”
Finley is now ten months old — pictured left with mum Zoe — and was born at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, last October 15.
It was amazing to see him in there. It’s a special moment anyway but this made it more incredible.
Stuart
Babies born in the sac are said to be “en caul” and are meant to be very lucky. In sailor folklore the tots are said, falsely, to be unable to drown.
Some sailors even used to keep a baby’s sac on board as a lucky charm during voyages.
Zoe, from Blackwater, Hants, joked: “Finley does love swimming and he’s good at it — I’m not sure if that has anything to do with it.”
Stuart, 29, chipped in: “I don’t think he can breath underwater like the myths say.”
Finley and sister Lyla, three, will be pageboy and flower girl when their parents marry next February.
Zoe recalled: “I didn’t have an easy birth with Lyla either. She had shoulder dystocia, so her shoulders got stuck. That’s why I had a C-section with Finley. They’re great, happy children.”
Dr Pat O’Brien, consultant obstetrician and spokesman for The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said being born in a sac would not have harmed Finlay.
Little lad is one in 80,000
By Carol Cooper, Sun Doctor
WHILE kittens almost always arrive in the world inside their own amniotic sac, it’s much rarer for human beings to be born this way.
The pressure during labour usually ruptures the sac, or “caul”, so only one baby in every 80,000 is born inside one.
It’s a bit more likely in premature births — although Finley was full term — and is usually harmless because the membrane is easy to remove.
In many cultures, being born with a caul is thought to bring luck or special powers.
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He explained: “It’s a very unusual occurrence but there are no known risks to mother or baby.
“It’s more common in premature babies because they are smaller. The amniotic sac is more likely to stay intact during a vaginal birth, too.
“Once the baby is delivered, there is no benefit in keeping the sac intact. If the baby starts trying to breathe, he or she must be removed from the sac to get some air.”
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