A police officer came to the rescue when a woman in Indianapolis, Indiana, who did not know she was pregnant, gave birth in her shower in October.
On October 1, 2024, Officer Kelly Chappell, a 19-year veteran of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, arrived on the scene in which a mother had just given birth unexpectedly. Officer Chappell realized that the newborn wasn’t breathing and quickly administered CPR. She said her instincts and training had “kicked in” immediately to help the family.
A body cam documented the tense moments as Officer Chappell raced into the house where she located the mother and “itty bitty” baby in a doorway. The infant was not breathing and was wrapped in a wet purple shirt. When asked why the shirt was wet, the mother responded that she had just given birth in the shower.
She also informed the officer that she did not know she was pregnant and that it was “the second time this happened to me.”
After making a quick assessment, Officer Chappell said she “felt for [the baby’s] pulse — couldn’t feel anything. She had a bluish tint.” She began a few quick chest compressions on the newborn, hurriedly escorted the baby outdoors, and made a sweep of the newborn’s mouth. It appeared as though some fluid from delivery had been causing breathing difficulties.
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During this time, the newborn took two brief gasps for air and the officer remembered thinking, “This baby is going to have a chance. . . It’s really more of a miracle.”
Officer Chappell was able to transfer the baby to an awaiting team of medics from the rescue. The baby was determined to be between 23 to 26 weeks gestation and is still recovering in a local hospital. The mother is also doing well.
When a mother doesn’t realize that she is pregnant after 20 weeks gestation, the condition is called a “cryptic pregnancy.” According to WebMD, cryptic pregnancies are rare and happen in one in approximately every 500 pregnancies up to 20 weeks, and one in 2,500 baby deliveries. A woman may experience a cryptic pregnancy if she is in denial about the pregnancy, is on birth control, has a false assurance of sterility, or has a previous condition of irregular periods.
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Stop killing America’s future. Defund Planned Parenthood NOW!
