In an unexpected turn of events, a pregnant woman gearing up for childbirth found her pre-labor peace shattered by intense, piercing screams from the adjacent bed in the hospital. Kearabetswe Sally Mojela, hailing from Pretoria, South Africa, was capturing the moment on video for her loved ones just moments before the start of her labor when the sounds of a fellow laboring mother echoed in the delivery room.
Interestingly, the human brain has a specific response to the sound of screaming. A fascinating study featured in the journal Current Biology revealed that screams possess distinct acoustic properties that engage the brain’s fear center more efficiently than other sounds. Researchers explored how various sounds affected the brain and discovered that while all sounds activated the auditory cortex, screams also stimulated the amygdala — which processes fear and emotion — to a significantly greater degree. Only the blaring of car alarms and police sirens managed to evoke a similar response.
Although it’s not unusual to hear cries in a labor ward, Mojela found the particularly intense screams unsettling. “It felt like someone was crying out as if they might die, and I had to brace myself for the same experience,” she shared candidly. “It was truly traumatic.”
TikTok/@kearaxsally
Mojela later posted her experience on TikTok (@kearaxsally), where viewers sympathized and shared their own anxieties about childbirth. One user remarked, “I’d just get up and leave,” while another humorously lamented, “No one can make me get pregnant again.” A third follower expressed their nervousness with, “This sound is really traumatizing… I’m due in 12 days and I’m scared.”
“I was just telling my partner this morning about how anxious I am regarding giving birth in December,” added another user, while a fifth said, “I’m thankful that my neighbors didn’t sound like this during my labor, or I would have been all over social media!”
Reflecting on her own childbirth journey, Mojela was candid about her experience. She noted that the screams were an accurate “preview of what was to come.” “My experience was far from enjoyable. The pain was intense, and honestly, it would take a lot of convincing for me to do it again,” she confessed.
“I’m healing now, and motherhood is a beautiful adventure. Ultimately, I’m just overjoyed that my little blessing is finally here,” she added, with a touch of warmth and relief. Mojela even manages to chuckle as she revisits the recorded chaos. “It’s a great memory to have about my birth experience — her screams were incredibly valid!”