A 42-year-old Italian woman, who did not know she was pregnant, gave birth to a little girl in the middle of the night. A total surprise for her and her companion, who simply thought she was ill.
Valentina Mecchi, a waitress from Altopascio, Tuscany, had no obvious signs of pregnancy. Unlike her first pregnancy, she did not experience any typical symptoms. She had noticed a swelling in her stomach, but the doctor attributed this to a possible gluten allergy. “We had planned to do tests, but they were delayed several times”explains his companion, Giacomo.
As Valentina has always had an irregular cycle, the absence of periods did not arouse suspicion. Again on Monday evening, she was normally working in a pizzeria in Lucca, where Giacomo is a cook. But during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, she started to feel unwell: nausea, vomiting, pain. Giacomo then thinks that she has caught the flu and goes to buy her medicine.
An unexpected birth
Back home, the medications don’t seem to be working. Suddenly, Valentina tells Giacomo that she feels like she’s giving birth. At first he thinks it’s a joke, until a head appears before his eyes. “I didn’t understand anything”he admits. “The little body came out on its own, with the umbilical cord, in silence. For a moment there was no sound, then the baby started crying very loudly.”
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In shock, Giacomo immediately calls for help. Valentina and her baby are taken to the hospital, where they are still resting. The little girl, named Michela, measures 51 centimeters and weighs 3.36 kilos. She is in perfect health, just like her mother, who is slowly recovering from this night full of emotions.
italy childbirth
