Mother Delivers Baby While Asleep After Epidural in Canadian Hospital

Carolina Moreno, 27, delivered her baby boy while asleep in a Canadian hospital after an epidural took effect during induced labor, nypost.com reported. She had been admitted for medical induction after testing positive for Group B Streptococcus and received antibiotics before her waters were broken. Moreno has a history of fast deliveries.

Her cervix was described as really thin and contractions moved quickly. After an epidural was administered, a nurse recommended she push a button for an extra dose of medication. She fell asleep for just under two hours.

A nurse returned to check the baby on the monitor and initially struggled to find the heartbeat. The nurse noted that Moreno's stomach felt empty. The baby was found lying face down and silent on the bed.

The nurse picked up the infant, rubbed him, and got him to cry and begin breathing. Moreno's husband woke after the birth and initially thought he had missed it. He did not realize both parents had missed the delivery, she said.

A video Moreno posted on social media about the birth received 1.7 million views. Midwife Aliza Carr stated that the experience is incredibly uncommon and that she has not personally encountered it in her career. Carr explained that a dense epidural block combined with exhaustion and a fast second stage of labor likely allowed the mother to deliver without waking.