Nun gives birth to surprise baby boy
New-mum nun says she had no idea she was pregnant
A shocked nun has given birth to a baby boy, and named him after Pope Francis.
The 31-year-old nun, who comes originally from El Salvador, was rushed to hospital from her convent in the Italian city of Rieti – only to find, to her huge surprise, that her 'stomach pains' were in fact labour pains.
She gave birth to a healthy baby boy a few hours later.
"I did not know I was pregnant. I only felt a stomach pain," she said, according to a report from Ansa, a local news agency – which also described the new mum's fellow nuns at the convent as being "surprised" by the news.
The new-mum nun has named her baby Francesco (Francis) – also the chosen title of the Pope – and other mothers at the hospital have begun collecting clothes and donations for her and her child, say the Italian media.
More like this
"I guess she's telling the truth when she says she arrived at the hospital unaware of the pregnancy," local pastor Don Fabrizio Borrello is quoted as saying.
Read more:
Authors
Helen is author of the classic advice book Parenting for Dummies and a mum of 3. Before joining MadeForMums, she was Head of Community at Mumsnet and also the Consumer Editor of Mother & Baby.
How NatPat's wellness patches may help your family
NatPat's range of wellness patches and stickers aim to tackle everything from allergies to lack of focus. We take a closer look at the range.