“I Had an Unmedicated Three Hour Labour and Gave Birth in 40 Seconds – I Didn’t Have to Push”

last year

Credit: SWNS / Cianna Gonzalez

A unmedicated mum gave birth in just 40 seconds when her baby "shot out" - because of a medical rarity.

Cianna Gonzalez, 24, experienced the Ferguson reflex, when the body 'expels' a child.

Also known as the fetal ejection reflex, it is often seen in home births - but rarely in a medical setting.

Stay-at-home mum Cianna, from Philadelphia, says she felt her son "descending" without control.

And he just slipped out after a three-hour labour - where he was caught by a midwife.

Transcript

00:00 My baby shot out completely involuntary.

00:03 I did not have to push him out.

00:05 So while I was giving birth,

00:06 what basically happened to me

00:07 is called the Ferguson reflex.

00:10 My baby shot out completely involuntary.

00:13 I did not have to push him out.

00:15 He came out on his own.

00:16 I have my birth video up on my page,

00:18 but when you watch it, you can hear me screaming,

00:21 "The baby is coming, he's coming!"

00:23 And that was me screaming to my team

00:26 that I'm gonna need hands on deck

00:28 because I could feel him descending outside of my control.

00:32 I was standing up while I was giving birth,

00:38 so I also feel like just me being in that position

00:41 and the way that gravity works,

00:42 it was also just pulling him down.

00:44 So if you're pregnant and you're preparing for labor,

00:46 I would definitely look up some breathing techniques.

00:49 There wasn't any technique that I did specifically,

00:53 but I just focused on making sure

00:55 I'm taking very slow, deep breaths.

00:58 I was fortunate enough to be able to birth in a birth center

01:00 and the environment that birth centers have,

01:02 especially the one I was at,

01:04 really allowed me to relax.

01:06 I was able to move freely

01:08 without being hooked up to any machines.

01:10 I was able to be in warm water.

01:13 And I do firmly believe that those things

01:16 helped me progress my labor instantly.

01:18 I know that these are amenities

01:19 that are not necessarily available to anybody,

01:21 and for that, I would definitely recommend

01:24 have somebody keep you accountable for your breathing

01:27 and try to make the environment as relaxing as possible.

01:30 Maybe you want dim lighting,

01:31 maybe you want certain music,

01:33 maybe you don't even wanna be talked to,

01:34 maybe you just want silence.

01:36 Try to think of those things

01:37 and think about what might help you relax.

01:39 (gentle music)

01:42 (gentle music)

01:44 (gentle music)

01:47 (gentle music)

01:49 (gentle music)

01:52 (gentle music)

01:55 you

“I Had an Unmedicated Three Hour Labour and Gave Birth in 40 Seconds – I Didn’t Have to Push”

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