ANNIE Evans had no idea she was pregnant until her son's HEAD appeared. The shocked 39-year-old delivered her own baby in bed at her mum's house, while waiting for paramedics.
Mum Annie Evans was shocked when she woke up in the night in labour - not realizing she was pregnant. She woke in the night thinking she was suffering stomach cramps, which she put down to IBS.
At the age of 39, Annie feared she was in the early stages of menopause, so didn't even contemplate that she could be pregnant.
After years of using the contraceptive injection, the mum-of-one from Worcester, claims she was told it was unlikely she would ever have kids.
So when she became pregnant, she dismissed the signs.
The 39-year-old delivered baby Lionel herself in bed at her mum's house
The 39-year-old delivered baby Lionel herself in bed at her mum's house
But in the early hours of March 29, Annie woke up and was shocked to discover she was actually in labour.
Baby Lionel was born still inside the amnitotic sac, which new mum Annie had to tear open herself before paramedics arrived to cut the umbilical cord.
"I just never thought having kids would be an option for me," she said.
"Although I can't believe what's happened I wouldn't change it for the world.
Annie thought she was in the early stages of menopause, and so didn't spot the signs she was pregnant
"After being on the contraceptive injection for ten years doctors told me it was unlikely I would have children and I just never found the right person, I had just resigned myself to the fact it would never happen.
"I had been really tired and sluggish but had just put it down to IBS symptoms.
"I had also been struggling to breathe but the baby was sitting up under my ribs and that's why my stomach hadn't changed shape that much.
After being on the contraceptive injection for ten years doctors told me it was unlikely I would have children
- Annie Evans
"I had no idea what was happening until the head appeared and I called my mum to ring for an ambulance."
Baby Lionel, named after Annie's father who passed away, had been sitting on Annie's diaphragm with the placenta in front, masking him inside the womb and meaning that she felt limited movements.
After feeling down due to a work redundancy Annie had been to the doctors for a checkup after not feeling too well but the doctor hadn't suggested a pregnancy test.
When she woke in the early hours of March 29 she thought her tummy cramps were IBS until Lionel's head appeared
When she woke in the early hours of March 29 she thought her tummy cramps were IBS until Lionel's head appeared
Annie gave birth to baby Lionel weighing 6lb 12oz on her bed at her mum's house at 6.50am but her waters failed to break and he was still inside the amniotic sac when he arrived.
Caul Births, where the baby remains inside the sac, are extremely rare, occurring in around 1 in 80,000 births.
Doctors also told Annie, who also believed she had been going through the menopause since last year, that woman often become more fertile when going through this transition.
Chef Annie said:
"I had to open the sac myself and when I heard him cry it was the biggest relief, I knew then that he was okay.
"The paramedics arrived and they were worried about getting me down the stairs but I walked while I held him and they cut the cord in the ambulance."
The pair spent a week in hospital to make sure Lionel was happy and healthy after his surprise delivery.
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