Woman gives police bizarre account of toilet birth

A ST Thomas mother and her newborn daughter are said to be hospitalised at the Princess Margaret Hospital in good condition following a bizarre toilet delivery on Saturday night.

The mother, who allegedly did not know she was pregnant, went to use the bathroom and later told relatives that while on the toilet, she passed something like a snake into the toilet bowl, The Gleaner understands.

Information reaching our news team is that the woman ran frantically from the bathroom. She and her mother reportedly re-entered the bathroom about 8 o’clock the following morning.

“They heard strange sounds coming from the room and went for a neighbour to go in search of what they thought to be a snake. They even gave him (neighbour) a cutlass to destroy it,” a source close to the investigation told The Gleaner.

Our news team was informed that upon opening the door, the feared creature was discovered to be a baby girl.

The Gleaner learnt that the police were summoned and the mother and infant transported to the Princess Margaret Hospital, where they were admitted. The woman reportedly told investigators that she did not know she was pregnant.

“According to her, she said she did two pregnancy tests, which turned out negative, and she did not have any symptoms of pregnancy,” the source told The Gleaner.

The 34-year-old mother reportedly thought that her protruding abdomen was linked to spirit possession, our news team understands.

The bathroom was processed by the St Thomas Scene of Crime Unit, which is investigating the incident.

A senior officer in the St Thomas Police Division, who requested anonymity having not received authorisation to speak on the case, confirmed the report.

When The Gleaner contacted head of the St Thomas Police Division, Superintendent Marlene M. Wilson-Christie, she said that she was unavailable for comment.