One in 80,000 babies is born in its amniotic sac. And giving birth in a car is extremely rare. Fit Pregnancy reported in 2011 that just 6,600 children were born while their mothers were in transit). So that makes Raelin Scurry’s story very, very special.
At 29 weeks pregnant, Scurry felt what she thought were Braxton Hicks contractions, but after 45 minutes of intense consistent pain she and her fiance, Ean Vanstory, decided it was time to head to the hospital.
Fourteen minutes later, Scurry and Vanstory, 24, welcomed a 3 pound, 1 ounce baby boy in the front seat of their vehicle.
“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,” the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based mom wrote in an August 24 Instagram post. That’s when Scurry handed the phone over to Vanstory. “I pulled my pants off and reached down and sure enough his head was right there,” she shared.
Scurry pushed one time before Ean Jamal Jr. was born. Here’s where it gets even more incredible: When the research assistant looked down she realized her son was en caul — a term given to babies born still encased in the amniotic sac. During most vaginal births, the membrane ruptures.
“At first the baby was still and all I do was pray he would be okay,” Scurry wrote. “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.”
Scurry tells Us Weekly that Ean “EJ” being born en caul was a blessing. “It was a relief,” she tells Us. “I knew his lungs wouldn’t be mature enough to breathe on his own.”
EJ, who now weighs 4 pounds and nearly 4 ounces, will join his sister, Amya, 5, in a few weeks. “He is doing amazing in the NICU,” Scurry tells Us. “He’ll come home closer to his October due date.”
