Parenting

People Are Sharing Videos Of Babies Born Inside The Amniotic Sac And They're Truly Amazing

by Maria Guido

Videos of babies born inside the amniotic sac, or ‘en caul,’ are circulating wildly this week

Everyone has heard of the moment in a woman’s pregnancy when her “water breaks,” but you may not know what it actually means. It refers to the time in labor when the amniotic sac ruptures, releasing amniotic fluid.

But what were to happen if the sac didn’t rupture? If the baby makes it out of the birth canal with the amniotic sac still fully intact, it’s referred to as an “en caul” birth. And it’s pretty amazing to witness.

Jasmine Perez shared video of her en caul birth last week, and it’s already been viewed over 26 million times.

The Human Birth Project also shared a video of an baby born in the amniotic sac, this one during a c-section:

It’s hard not to stand in awe of this footage because it’s the closest we’ll get to seeing what a baby looks like inside the womb. Some cultures believe children born en caul are blessed with life-long good luck and an affinity for water. The births are rare: about 1 in 80,000.