Baby Born En Caul, Still In Amniotic Sac, In Car Seat: Photos

At only 29 weeks pregnant, Raelin Scurry and her fiance Ean Vanstory Sr. drove to the hospital to ensure that what she thought were Braxton Hicks contractions were nothing to worry about. However, just 14 minutes into the car ride to the hospital, Scurry, 21, gave birth in the passenger seat to a baby boy still enclosed in his amniotic sac, known as an en caul birth.

According to the Babycenter, Braxton Hicks contractions are common and usually harmless, and felt early in a pregnancy. However, some women who experience preterm delivery can often mistake the signs for the far less serious condition. It didn't take long for Scurry, of Pennsylvania, to realize that something was wrong and her contractions were more than she thought.

“I knew it was time to push. I called 911 because I was so scared. They couldn’t understand me between the screams with contractions,” Scurry wrote in an Instagram Post. “I pulled my pants off and reached down and sure enough his head was right there."

Her son, who she named Ean Jamal Vanstory Jr., was born preterm, weighing only 3 pounds, 1 ounce.

“At first the baby was still and all I could do was pray he would be okay,” Scurry said. “And then I rubbed his face with my thumb and he pulled his little hands and feet up to his face as if he understood my prayers and wanted to reassure us he was okay.”

The family arrived at the hospital several minutes later where hospital staff were able to remove the amniotic sac and help the newborn take his first breath. Thankfully, the child survived and is now thriving.

“I was completely calm after he came out. I was just praying he would be OK,” Scurry told The Huffington Post. “When we got to the hospital, I stayed in the car and waited for the doctors to come get the baby. He (Vanstory) went inside to tell them, and at first, they thought he was joking because he was so calm.”

These types of births are incredibly rare, as the amniotic sac usually breaks during labor, which is commonly referred to as a woman’s water breaking. According to BabyMed, true en caul births occur in about one in 80,000 births; they are often confused with caul births, where the sac has ruptured but parts of it are still attached to the child during birth. En caul births are also more common in preterm births, such as Ean's.

The amniotic sac, known as the “caul,” which is latin for helmet, is thought to bring good luck to those who posses it. For example, in Roman times, cauls were used by lawyers who believed that having one would help them win their case, How Stuff Works reported. In other cultures, the caul was thought to have healing powers, and was used in some medicines, or would be placed under the pillow of a dying person to make their passing easier.

Scurry shares in the belief of the caul bringing good luck to those born still enclosed in it, adding, “I know he’s going to be an awesome little man! He is truly a miracle​ baby. We are so blessed to be his parents,” The Independent reported.