√ En Caul Baby
√ Natural childbirth
“Honey, the baby is here! You were amazing!” Mr. Wong excitedly ran to my side, patting my leg as he spoke.
“I did it!? Sansan, I did it!” I thought to myself.
Yes, I did it! I achieved the ideal childbirth experience I had always envisioned.
Since I was young, I was certain that I would opt for a cesarean section when giving birth. I had heard too many painful stories about natural childbirth and was further influenced by those dreadful palace dramas, where every birth scene was filled with cries, screams, and intense pain, not to mention the medical procedures involved. I was adamant about avoiding episiotomy, breaking the water manually, epidural anesthesia, frequent internal exams, and induction of labor. And I certainly feared having a husband who would be as useless as a “pig teammate” during labor…
Believe it or not, my demands were quite high, so I opted for a cesarean section to avoid the factors I didn’t want. However, having a surgical incision on my abdomen and undergoing partial anesthesia—was this really what I wanted? Furthermore, many advanced countries, including China, no longer perform episiotomies. Were there better options available to me?
It wasn’t until 2020 that I discovered my old acquaintance, Sansan, was a gentle birth educator. Driven by curiosity, I attended one of her public lectures. Tina—many of the concerns I had could be avoided. For someone who values natural birth like me, it was a revelation. Without hesitation, I enrolled in her five-day online gentle birth course.
On December 6, 2021, I was awakened at 6:00 a.m. by a bladder full of urine. While urinating, I suddenly felt something drop from my vagina. Looking down, I saw a blood clot. Was this what they call “show”? Remembering Sansan’s advice, I stayed calm, as the “show” did not necessarily mean I needed to rush to the hospital immediately. I went back to sleep and, upon waking up at 8:00 a.m., noticed no significant changes. Although I had a scheduled check-up for the 7th, I decided to send a WhatsApp message to my doctor to explain the situation. After reviewing my message, the doctor advised me to come in for an examination.
After breakfast at 8:00 a.m., I arrived at the hospital at 9:00 a.m. The internal examination revealed I was already 3 cm dilated. The doctor asked if I wanted to be admitted immediately or go home and wait. I decided without hesitation to return home and wait for the 4-1-1 contractions.
So, Mr. Wong and I went shopping for some remaining items. We visited a baby store for baby supplies and AEON for my necessities. During this time, I sent a WhatsApp message to Sansan, who advised me to relax. Thus, I enjoyed a meal at Nando’s, despite increasingly intense contractions. Nevertheless, I continued with my normal activities, savoring both my Nando’s meal and a pre-postpartum ice-cold cola. By 10:00 a.m., while eating at Nando’s, the 9-1-1 contractions began at 12:00 p.m.
After completing our shopping, it was already past 2:00 p.m. I returned home to rest and lay on my bed, waiting for the 4-1-1 contractions while listening to my Rainbow Relaxation audio. During contractions, I practiced 20-20 breathing, and during the breaks, I practiced 4-8 breathing. I also applied clary sage essential oil to my sacrum to help open the cervix. For these four hours, I remained calm, eagerly anticipating the onset of the 4-1-1 contractions and the moment I would meet my little Mok Man.
By 6:00 p.m., it was time to go to the hospital. With the 4-1-1 contractions arriving, Mr. Wong diligently brought the prepared delivery bag to the car. We made our way to TMC at a leisurely pace. Upon arriving at the hospital, we waited in the waiting room for half an hour. Honestly, this half hour was quite agonizing—standing and sitting were uncomfortable, and lying down was even less feasible. As Sansan had advised, minimizing external disturbances during labor is crucial. I fully understood this at that moment; if I had more strength, I would have expressed my frustration.
At 6:30 p.m., we were allowed to enter the delivery room. The nurse attached fetal heart rate and contraction monitors to my abdomen. While some people may prefer not to have these monitors on throughout labor, I was accustomed to them from my internship in Beijing and did not mind. Although I was in a shared room (the hospital was under renovation, and only one single room was booked), the nurse provided ample privacy and did not frequently interrupt me. As contractions became increasingly intense (or rather, as the gentle birth course had instructed, “contractions”), the pain caused me to tremble all over (Mr. Wong was reportedly in tears). At this point, Sansan sent me a message asking for an update. I informed her that my sacrum was extremely sore and my back felt like it was breaking. I had tried various positions, including the polar bear position, which was more painful! This was due to my personal physiology. Then, inspired by an idea, I decided to sit on my yoga ball with Mr. Wong helping to rub my back. Wow! It provided significant relief and alleviated the intense sacral pain. I highly recommend a supportive partner and a yoga ball for this purpose!
Why rub the back? How does it help? Rubbing the back stimulates the release of endorphins, which are natural pain relievers. For more details, you can consult Sansan—I won’t claim to be an expert myself.
It was already 8:00 p.m., and visiting hours had ended. At 8:30 p.m., Mr. Wong was asked to return home and would be notified when it was time for him to come back. Mr. Wong left with a heavy heart and reluctant steps.
At 9:00 p.m., the nurse came to check the fetal heart rate and contractions again. She asked me, “Is it very painful?” I replied, “It’s bearable.” Her next statement nearly shattered my confidence. She said, “Your contractions are only mild pain, and your water hasn’t broken yet. You’ll know it’s time to deliver when you hear a popping sound.” 😌
“But… I feel something pushing me,” I responded. The nurse then asked me, “Something pushing you? Like you need to have a bowel movement?” I confirmed, “Yes, it feels like something is pushing.” The nurse, moving with remarkable speed, performed the first internal examination—yes, you read that correctly, this was the first internal exam after being admitted for two hours.
After the examination, the nurse appeared puzzled and rushed to the nurse’s station to consult with a more experienced nurse. The senior nurse muttered, “How could this be…” as she entered. The junior nurse said, “Really, just look!” The senior nurse then performed another internal exam and, looking both puzzled and alarmed, declared, “You are fully dilated! Notify the doctor!”
By 9:30 p.m., the nurse hurriedly wheeled me to the delivery room and instructed me to call my husband. Mr. Wong answered the phone and, according to reports, was only at the hospital entrance. Those familiar with Taiping will know just how close that is. Without further ado, he made an urgent U-turn and returned to the hospital. What was happening? At that moment, I had no answers…
To skip over the lengthy description of how I maneuvered through the delivery room while bumping into things, Mok Man was almost startled out.
Upon entering the delivery room, the midwife was already waiting for me. She said, “You can start pushing now.” What? So suddenly? Am I hearing this correctly? Now? At this moment? Immediately? Start pushing? “Can I wait for my husband to arrive?” I asked. The midwife, seemingly unconcerned, replied, “You can push while you wait.” As she finished speaking, Mr. Wong arrived, and the doctor also came in. The doctor instructed me to begin pushing, and I silently reminded myself that “pushing = J breathing.” The doctor first asked me to try the traditional birthing position. I attempted it three times and then took a rest.
While replenishing my energy, the doctor asked me to try delivering in a side-lying position. This time, it was almost successful, just a little short. At this point, the doctor asked, “Hmm? I asked you to bring your own music into the delivery room. Where is it?”
“Oh, right, my Rainbow Relaxation,” I replied. “Honey, please play it for me.” As I listened to Rainbow Relaxation, it was oddly effective; I quickly regained my strength, readying myself for the next contraction and preparing to use J breathing. The contraction came, and Mr. Wong cheered me on from my side. The doctor and nurses also encouraged me, saying, “The baby’s head is out! The baby’s head is out!” I gave it my all, pushing with full force, “hmmmmmmmmm!”
“Darling, the baby is here! You did great!” Mr. Wong joyfully ran to my side and patted my thigh. He then quickly returned to my leg and watched the doctor attend to the baby. “Hmm? Why do I feel a warm sensation by my leg now that the baby is born?” I wondered internally. The answer would be revealed soon.
I truly must commend my obstetrician; she was incredibly professional and skillfully ensured the umbilical cord blood flowed quickly into the baby. In her excitement, the doctor even cut the umbilical cord herself. 😅
Everything was so natural and smooth. Everyone must be curious why the nurses were so frantic. It turned out that our baby, Mok Man, was an en caul birth baby—born still enveloped in the amniotic sac. This means I went into labor without my water breaking, so the “pop” sound the nurse was waiting for was never going to happen; the amniotic sac broke when the baby was born. This is also why I was fully dilated and ready to deliver even with mild pain. The nurses had probably never encountered this situation before, which is why they appeared so flustered. 😜
Lastly, I want to give my partner, teammate, husband, and Mok Man’s dad, Mr. Wong, a perfect score of 💯. He attentively listened to the classes, and everything I was worried about did not happen. ❣️
Of course, the person I must thank most is Sansan. You made my delivery process so smooth and natural, avoiding all the external factors I didn’t want. You helped us welcome our baby Mok Man into this world in a gentle and unforgettable way, giving our family a memorable birthing experience.
Sansan, having you has been truly wonderful. Kisses ❣️
P.S. Many people mistakenly believe that gentle birth always results in an en caul birth, but this is not the case. An en caul birth occurs only in about 1 in 80,000 births. Typically, the water breaks first and then there is a “show,” or vice versa. My case is an exception, so please do not confuse the two. This is a serious clarification.
If you have many doubts and fears about childbirth, I strongly recommend AuYong Sansan, my gentle birth instructor. She made me, already confident, even more confident. 🤪🤪🤪🤪
(Here’s a useful app recommendation: “Fetal Movement – Contraction Timer,” which helps record the intervals of contractions without the hassle of constantly checking a watch or clock.)
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【Mentor’s Note】
The legendary En Caul Baby, meaning a baby born encased in the amniotic sac, has arrived!
Yes, during the delivery, the amniotic fluid was completely retained, and the baby remained peacefully within the amniotic sac until birth. Therefore, the first thing done after the baby was born was to rupture the amniotic sac before placing the baby on the mother’s chest.
Yunn Waon is a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. She mentioned that after witnessing various special cases in clinical practice, she felt that natural childbirth posed significant challenges. She is delighted that gentle birth allowed her to experience the natural process of childbirth and successfully deliver her little one naturally. I am truly happy for her!
She has meticulously documented her journey, including the emotional process, the birth scenario, her inner thoughts in various situations, and her flexible adaptations to the hospital’s constraints, among other details. The story is captivating, so I won’t go into further detail here. Let’s take a look at her sharing!
