Desperate mom gives herself an emergency C-section, saving both of their lives
Bringing life into the world isn't always as joyous as the media portrays. Several parents come through childbirth with physical, mental, and emotional trauma. But even among the most traumatic deliveries, the birth story of Inés Ramíez, a mother of nine in Mexico, likely catapults to the top of the list of the world's most traumatic births.
The International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics reveals in a case report originally published in December 2003, that a 40-year-old mother of nine gave herself an emergency cesarean section and lived to tell the tale. This wasn't a self-inflicted operation to test her fortitude and pain tolerance. This was an act of desperation, utilizing different areas of personal experience to guide her actions.
The mother lived in Oaxaca, a remote mountain town in Mexico without access to a local hospital. After delivering eight previous children, she's an expert on how childbirth is supposed to go, but during her eighth pregnancy, something went wrong. Labor didn't progress as it should've, and the baby couldn't descend through the birth canal properly, resulting in a stillbirth.
Newborn's first cry marks a fresh beginning.Photo credit: Canva
Living in an extremely rural area with little access to everyday necessities, Ramíez was accustomed to seeing goats slaughtered for food. This knowledge came in handy when she went into labor with her ninth child at home with no other adult around to assist. When her labor stalled, showing the same signs as her previous pregnancy that ended in a stillbirth, the mom became desperate. According to the report she gave the hospital, she knew she had to get the baby out quickly, so she took three shots of hard liquor and cut into her belly. Ramíez's husband was away deer hunting with no idea what was going on at home.
OBGYN Shannon M. Clark shares the story on her Instagram page explaining how the mother was able to successfully perform her own C-section without dying from blood loss.
"She did a right paramedian incision vertically to gain access to her abdomen, so likely she entered somewhere near the midline between the rectus muscles, and then she cut her uterus in the same direction and delivered the male fetus. She didn't report a lot of bleeding, but having done these a gajillion times, incisions that are up and down, either right to the side of the belly button, or above it, or below it, actually do not bleed very much because you get right in between those rectus muscles, and you avoid a lot of vessels that way," Clark explains.
It took her about an hour to complete the emergency surgery. Before passing out, likely from pain and shock, she directed one of her children to get her cousin, who is a local health assistant. The cousin arrived to find the mother still passed out with a gaping wound. Being that the community is so rural, her cousin didn't have proper sutures, so she used a regular sewing needle and cotton thread to close the mother's abdomen. The cousin then transported Ramíez in her car to the nearest clinic, 2.5 hours away, to stabilize her before continuing the drive to the hospital, which is eight hours away.
After making it to the hospital, the doctors there were able to perform surgery to make sure nothing was amiss. They repaired her uterus and abdomen 16 hours after she performed her own C-section with a butcher's knife. The mother healed well, leaving what appears to be a thin scar about six inches long next to her belly button.
People who watched Clark's video can't fathom having the strength to do the same thing, with one woman writing, "I’m a nurse and I don’t think I could do this to myself. To someone else, maaaaaybe, but I’m not sure. The nurse who came out and used a needle and thread to sew this lady up was also incredible."
Newborn baby.Photo credit: Canva
Another says, "Well, when you're on pregnancy number 9 you're pretty much a professional. Whatever brand of liquor she drank should hire her to advertise. Never underestimate the power of love, adrenaline and survival instinct."
Even doctors are impressed: "I have to say, as an OB I am extremely impressed at how straight and nicely done her abdominal incision was."
Neo-Nazis marching in a parade
In preparation for an upcoming neo-Nazi march in the small Bavarian town of Wunsiedel, local residents decided to fight back in a hilariously perfect way: by sponsoring each of the 250 fascist participants. According to Heeb Magazine, "For every metre they walked, €10 went to a programme called EXIT Deutschland, which helps people escape extremist groups."
The reason the Neo-Nazis show up in Wunsiedel every year is because Adolf Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess was previously buried there. They apparently haven't been deterred by the fact that his grave was exhumed in 2011 and destroyed.
The brilliant prank was organized by a group called Right Against Right, which alerted people to their wholesome scheme through their website, which reads:
They run and run and run! Almost every week, neo-Nazis take to the streets to demonstrate. If you can't stop them, you can at least make them run for something worthwhile, like against themselves. This turns the funeral march into a fundraising march, and the demonstration into a charity event. For every meter run, fixed donations from companies and citizens go to EXIT Germany or projects working against neo-Nazis. Let's harness this charitable potential!
So if you're determined to march, you're stepping into a dilemma. With your support, things will go much better! Donate, share, and be there live when it's time to take a strong stand against the right – in your everyday life, online, or with a donation.The anti-semitic walkers didn't figure out the town's scheme until they had already started their march, and by that time, it was too late to turn back. The end result? The neo-Nazis raised more than $12,000 to fund programs to put an end to neo-Nazis.
Unfortunately, Neo-Nazi organizations still continue to crop up across the world In recent years they have been seen at political rallies. Even today in 2025, American political actors such as Tesla founder Elon Musk, have been accused of giving Nazi salutes at rallies in a not so thinly veiled sign of approval to those who posses anti-semitic and other far right win ideologies.
NRM Finnish independence day demonstration, 2018.Image via Wikicommons
As the Guardian reported at the time, people in the town got fully into the spirit, "sponsoring" the 250 Neo-Nazi marchers, hanging hilariously mocking signs, including one posted at the end of the march, which thanked them for their "donations" to the anti-hate groups.
According to The Washington Post, “The 200 neo-Nazis had only two choices when they got to know about the plan: Either they proceeded, indirectly donating money to the EXIT Germany initiative, or they acknowledged their defeat and suspended the march. The neo-Nazis decided to pursue their plans — and participated in raising funds for an organization committed to their downfall.”
The plan worked so well, it was replicated in 2017 by the Jewish Bar Association of San Francisco, which started an "Adopt a Nazi (Not Really)" fundraiser on GoFundMe that ended up raising more than $150,000 in response to a Neo-Nazi march in the city.
Watch the YouTube video below:
- YouTube www.youtube.com
This article originally appeared eleven years ago.
Elderly man gently touches the forehead of another man outdoors.
English may boast one of the lengthiest vocabularies in the world, but there are still entire emotional universes Merriam-Webster can’t quite encapsulate. Thankfully, other cultures can. Our ability to understand these layered, sometimes conflicting feelings proves that beneath our differences, we share the same emotional language.
Here are some of the most beautifully specific emotions that have no English equivalent, grouped by the inner worlds they illuminate. Together, they show one thing: human feelings are far more connected than we might assume,
Woman in denim jacket covers face with sleeve, standing outdoors with blurred background.Photo credit: Canva
Chappell Roan said it best: “love is a kaleidoscope.” One of tenderness, ache, inevitability, and memory. These words perfectly capture the emotional fine print of human connection.
These words prove that love cannot be reduced to a single emotion.
Woman with outstretched arms in a sunlit field, enjoying the outdoors.Photo credit: Canva
Some emotions lift us out of our everyday selves—through nature, art, music, or inner stillness. These words celebrate those moments when the world feels bigger, deeper, or more alive.
These are the emotions that open us up to natural beauty and to the deeper parts of ourselves.
Lush forest with vibrant green and orange foliage in soft, misty sunlight.Photo credit: Canva
These words capture the feelings that tie us to geography—whether we’re longing to leave, ecstatic to go, or transformed when we arrive somewhere new.
These words remind us that our surroundings shape our inner world.
Friends laughing and drinking coffee at a cozy cafe table.Photo credit: Canva
Some feelings only exist between people in crowds, in friendships, in shared silences, or in the subtle emotional temperature of a room.
Human life is held together by shared awareness, and these words embody some of those shared experiences.
Woman with curly hair in sunlight, eyes closed, wearing a purple top.Photo credit: Canva
These words show that courage and resourcefulness take many forms.
Some emotions are fuel to keep us going.
Man smiling with hand over face, standing outdoors against a blue sky background.Photo credit: Canva
Humans are messy. These words capture the cringiness that makes us lovable.
They celebrate the ways we laugh our way through being human.
Hand painting a still life on canvas with blue and orange tones.Photo credit: Canva
These words name feelings we desperately need more English words for—the grounded peace that comes from completing something meaningful or living at a human pace.
These words are all about the intrinsic fullness that comes from finishing something well, doing things with heart, and letting yourself breathe.
Woman sitting on a chair in the water, writing in a notebook at sunset.Photo credit: Canva
Some feelings sit in liminal spaces, hard to define but unmistakably human.
"Bittersweet" is an English word that comes to mind, but how nice to have even more words to choose from.
Maybe the real beauty of these untranslatable emotions isn’t that other languages have them and English doesn’t. It's that humans everywhere feel them, even if we don’t always know how to say them out loud.
So the next time you experience something too complicated to explain, take heart: there’s probably a word for it somewhere in the world…and someone who’s felt it, too.
Sources: Berlitz, BBC, Thought Catalog, Collective Hub
Three women walking down city streets.
A forensics student named Alexandria recently shared vital information on TikTok that all women should know. She detailed the specific signs male predators are looking for when they choose a victim.
Her video is based on a 2013 study entitled “Psychopathy and Victim Selection: The Use of Gait as a Cue to Vulnerability.” For the study, researchers interviewed violent criminals in prison and asked them the type of women they’d be most likely to victimize.
The study found that the criminals all agreed that how the woman walked was a deciding factor.
“What the selected women all had in common was the way that they walked and how they generally held themselves in public,” Alexandria says in the video she later deleted but has been shared broadly across the platform.
@_alf_90_ How to walk for your safety! #women #safety #tips #walking #kidnapping #murder #attacks #fyp
“The selected women all had a similar ‘awkwardness’ to the way that they walked and carried themselves,” she continued. “The first part of the woman had a gait that was a little bit too small for their body, which resulted in smaller steps, slower speed and their arms more typically to their sides, or crossed, as well as their heads being down and not really taking in their general surroundings, which indicated three different things to these potential attackers.”
The woman’s body language signaled to attackers that she was fearful and anxious and because her head was down, she'd be easier to surprise. Alex then described the second type of woman the criminals said they’d target.
“On the other hand, the other part of the women that were selected had a gait that seemed a bit too big for their body and their arms tended to flail to the sides and seemed just overly awkward,” Alexandria continued.
The woman with the bigger gait signaled to potential attackers that she may be clumsy and won’t put up a good fight. “Because their arms were out and flailing to the side, it left the lower body open to, again, come around and grab them,” she said.
Women walking down a street.Image via Canva Photos.
The video was helpful because Alexandria also discussed the types of women the attackers wouldn’t pursue. Alex says these women “walked with a gait that tended to be more natural to their body.” She adds they moved at the same pace as those in the immediate area, with their shoulders back and chins up and asserting a general sense of confidence.
“Essentially, the women that were not selected gave off an energy that said, ‘Don’t mess with me. I will put up a good fight.’ And that’s why they weren’t selected,” Alex said. “I know that it sounds silly, but something as simple as the way you walk or the way that you carry yourself in public could determine the likelihood that you become a target of a predator.”
According to the Center for Violence Prevention and Self Defense Training, detecting vulnerability is the biggest factor in who predators choose to victimize. Confusion, isolation, appearing insecure, unaware, unassertive, or distracted all play a part in who predators target, but being aware of these factors can increase safety considerably. They also note that access plays a part in being targeted, stating that, "Attackers tend to target people positioned near entrances, exits, or secluded areas where they can quickly grab and escape without arousing suspicion."
Woman aware of her surroundings in a parking garage. Image via Canva Photos.
This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.
Hugh Grant (left) Renee Zellweger (right)
Hugh Grant does not hold back when it comes to his opinions on anything. But in one unfortunate interview he did for Elle Magazine back in 2009, he dished on most of his female co-stars, and it wasn't pretty. He described Emma Thompson as "clever, funny, mad as a chair." Of Sandra Bullock, he said, "a genius, a German, too many dogs." He later commented that Julia Roberts' mouth was so big, he "was aware of a faint echo" when they kissed onscreen. And while Julianne Moore, Rachel Weisz, and Drew Barrymore were all described as clever, stunning, or beautiful, the consensus was that they all "loathed him."
But it was his Bridget Jones's Diary co-star Renée Zellweger with whom he seemed to have the softest spot. Even when revisiting the matter on The Graham Norton Show in 2016, Hugh agreed with his original assessment that she's "delightful. Also far from sane. Very good kisser."
When pressed, Hugh jokingly said, "She is genuinely lovely, but her emails are 48 pages long. Can't understand a word of them."
- YouTube www.youtube.com
Now, nine years later, Renée is returning to her Bridget Jones character, and the two reunite for a piece called "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" for British Vogue. Apparently in their OG Bridget Jones days, had tons of questions between on-set shots for Renée. Examples include: "If you had to marry one of today's extras, who would it be?" and "Who is a better kisser, me or Colin Firth?"
This time, there was a new slew of questions for each actor. Here are a few key things we find out:
He says candidly (of course), "With a lot of other actors, you think they're really great, and then suddenly you see a little glint of steely, scary ambition, and you realize this person would trample their grandmother to get what they want in this business. But I've never seen that glint coming off you. So either it's very well disguised, or you are quite nice."
"You're hilariously brilliant at everything you hate." media1.giphy.com
"You're hilariously brilliant at everything you hate. And, though you hate humans, you're a very good and loyal friend. I like you very much. And I love working with you."
After discussing Renée's dialect coach, Hugh tells her that her attempt at an English accent is…"perfect."
"Bridget is authentically herself…and triumphs in her own way." media1.giphy.com
Hugh says, "In a nutshell, I say it's an antidote to Instagram. Instagram is telling people, especially women, 'Your life's not good enough.' It's not as good as this woman's or that woman's, making you insecure. Whereas what Helen (the writer) did with Bridget is celebrate failures, while making it funny and joyful."
Renée makes some jokes and then says, "I think maybe folks recognize themselves in her and relate to her feelings of self-doubt. Bridget is authentically herself and doesn't always get it right, but whatever her imperfections, she remains joyful and optimistic, carries on, and triumphs in her own way."
After asking if people in general should be a "bit more stylish," Hugh tells Renée she's "very chic." Renée pushes back with, "I'm wearing a tracksuit." To which Hugh retorts, "Yeah, but a sort of PRICEY one."
"They're written in some curious language that I can't really understand." media2.giphy.com
"You have sent me the longest emails I've ever received. I can't understand a single word of them. They're written in some curious language that I can't really understand."
"No!" Renée exclaims. "If you reference something in your emails that makes me laugh…I will circle back to that. And if you've forgotten that you wrote it, I don't think I should be held accountable for that!"
This article originally appeared in February
