If you are born in a caul you cannot drown?

[travellinghopefully12]

Is this an irresponsible thing for parents to tell their children? DP was told this as a child, by his othrwise lovely parents and I can't quite believe it.

He grew up thinking he could swim out as far to sea as he liked.

[UterusUterusGhali]

I still say this but I'm pretty bloody sure it's taken as intended; as a joke, and a nod to an old wives tale. I live near Portsmouth btw.

I tell DS, who was in the caul until it exploded, the myth, but neither he nor I actually believe it.

If your DH was taking it seriously his parents absolutely should have put him straight.
Maybe they didn't realise he'd taken the comment on board.
Maybe they thought they were being glib.

[AnnieOnnieMouse]

Think about it - the baby born still in the sac will be visibly alive, and seemingly breathing the amniotic fluid - therefore able to breathe underwater, and therefore will not drown.

[Puremince]

DD was born with a caul. The midwife divided it in two. She gave us half to keep and kept the other half herself. I must have done something wrong because our half dried out and disintegrated after about six months. It was very thin. I think she may have folded hers into a smaller, thicker shape.

[travellinghopefully12]

canyouforgiveher just once, I think.

It's interesting, I never knew there was so much mythology involved. Is it common to be born in a caul?

[LadyTrevelyan]

I think I am wrong but I thought a caul was associated with things like second sight and being attached to the other world.

Had a very religious but woo Grandma.

[0hCrepe]

Yes I've looked it up now. The one on the clip was the helmet type floating around his face, not the full sac.
Surely people who say that they can't drown are just reiterating/passing down a myth rather than taking it seriously though!

[ClashCityRocker]

Well, I don't remember it, but I heard about it growing up, I mean.

[ClashCityRocker]

I thought it meant you had the shining, and could see the future and shit.

Anyway, I was born in the caul and have never drowned...although I avoid water because I can't actually swim. No sign of the sixth sense either.

I remember my Irish grandmother being pissed mum didn't keep the caul as its good luck, apparently...although no idea how you would keep it.

[Canyouforgiveher]

He grew up thinking he could swim out as far to sea as he liked.

He thought he was immune to drowning under any circumstances? Did his parents tell him that - swim out as far as you like, darling, you can't drown? How many times did he have to be rescued.

[Hassled]

But how were cauls being carried around by superstitious boatmen? I mean - how can they be preserved? Aren't they wafer-thin? Am I being really thick?

[Canyouforgiveher]

That actually isn't the correct saying as far as I know.

It is "It you are born in a caul, you won't die of drowning" which is a bit different.

I suspect they read it first in David Copperfield (David Copperfield was born in a caul), and said it to him more as a reference to that/reminding him of the fact that he had a caul than a real directive that he should go and jump in the deep end because he was incapable of drowning.

Your DH didn't drown as a kid under his neglectful parents' watch - he grew up just fine. I'd chill and maybe ask them where the saying came from.

[CalebHadToSplit]

My DS was born in his sac. He has never been told that he couldn't drown, but has been told that he will be a sailor / lucky at sea. One of my in laws referred to it as a 'dry birth' which was far more accurate as no waters to lubricate his passage out!

[whattheseithakasmean]

I have horses and our foal was born in the caul. How reassuring to know she won't drown, I had never heard that

[Velvetdarkness]

Ohcrepe the caul is the sac. Some babies come out still inside it.

[travellinghopefully12]

They're Academics, Chippednailvarnishing! (but perhaps lack some practicality?)

OhCrepe, I think it's like a green bag??

[0hCrepe]

The heartburn thing definitely wasn't true for me! I had terrible heartburn and 2 bald babies!

[Chippednailvarnishing]

Maybe your inlaws are particularly thick?

[0hCrepe]

How weird! I was watching childbirth clips earlier (I'm 36 weeks pg and wanted to watch positive births). Anyway one said birth in caul which I had never heard of before and now it's on here! In the video the mum gave birth in a pool and baby came out really slowly and stayed under the water the whole time and for quite a while after he was completely out. I thought this could happen with all babies though until they took their own breath. So still not sure what caul is, but this baby did have something floating around!

[butterfliesandzebras]

My mum was told her pregnancy heartburn meant the baby had lots of hair

Apparently that one has been proven true (to a certain extent). High amounts of the same hormones that can make heartburn more likely, also trigger more hair growth in the baby...

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

Not sure what you mean by irresponsible? Might their children genuinely believe they can't drown and fling themselves in rivers and so on?

[travellinghopefully12]

Why is there the connection between being born in a cowl and able to swim? DP was a very literal child, and is a very literal adult, so I am confused as to why his parents thought that was a good idea. Apparently they never said it again after he tried to swim to some Island off Anglesey when he was small.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

It's just an old wives tale.

[TheHobbitMum]

Forgot to say DD was also born within the amniotic say completely intact around, which is a damn good job considering the volumentous cord insertion

[TheSilverChair]

My gt grandfather always carried a caul when he went to sea. He was a lifeboatman and died in his bed aged 96 in 1941.

Seamen are notoriously superstitious.