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.
Cianna said: “I felt him descending. I was screaming ‘he’s coming’.
“My baby shot out completely voluntarily.
“I did not have to push him out, he came out on his own. He came out in less than 40 seconds.”
Cianna, who now has two children, went into labour after 38 weeks.
She started feeling what she thought were Braxton Hicks contractions.
But, after contacting the birth centre, she was told to come in and that she was in labour.
She went into a birth pool during labour and was in there when she suddenly felt her baby coming.
She tried to get out of the tub to give birth – but realised there was no time.
Cianna said: “I was anxiety ridden in the moment.
“I thought who is going to catch this baby? It was very natural and very fast.”
Her second son was born on August 8 2022, weighing 7lbs 5oz, at 10.35am.
She believes “being able to relax trigged the Ferguson reflex”.
Cianna said: “It was very intuitive on the babies end. It was incredible.
“I didn’t know I could do that or the baby could. He was on his own timing.”
Cianna had not had the reflex with her first son, now two, when he was born on February 10 2021 weighing 7lbs 12oz.
Her positive birth experience which gave her “confidence” for her second birth.
She said: “I was excited to do it again.”
According to birthing information online, the reflex is involuntary – the woman’s body is doing the work without any thought.
Some women have likened it to a sneeze, it is claimed – once it’s started to happen, there’s nothing you can do to stop it.
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