Rosario Tries to Smother the Newborn Amaia

Rosario Tries to Smother the Newborn Amaia is an attempted killing immediately after the birth of Rosario’s twin daughters. When Juan enters the bedroom, he finds Rosario pressing a small satin cushion against one newborn’s face; he knocks her away, and Dr. Juan Hidalgo intervenes to check the baby, identified in the episode as Juan’s daughter Amaia.

The Attempt

The bedroom still bears the physical aftermath of childbirth: blood and sweat mingle with the sharp smell of disinfectant. Wearing a clean nightgown, Rosario stands over the twins and holds a small satin cushion—one that usually decorates her bed—against the baby’s face. The ordinary household object becomes the means of an immediate threat to the newborn.

Juan cries out and strikes Rosario away from the cradle, knocking her down. Though strong, she is weakened by labor and remains on the bed, looking at him seriously without a sound or complaint. Her silence follows a sudden act of violence, but the scene does not explain her motive.

The Baby’s Rescue

Juan removes the cushion from his daughter’s face, and the baby begins crying at once. Dr. Juan Hidalgo takes her from Juan’s arms, feels her nose, and puts a little finger into her mouth to make sure nothing is obstructing it. The child cries loudly, her face contracting into angry grimaces; the doctor confirms that she is all right.

Juan, however, appears not to hear the reassurance. He continues looking at his daughter and shaking his head, overwhelmed by what he has just witnessed. The episode ends with the immediate physical danger checked, but the parents’ sharply different responses—Rosario’s wordless stillness and Juan’s desperation—left in view.

Place in the Birth Scene

The attempt occurs amid the birth of the twins, at the moment when the newborns depend entirely on the adults around them. Juan’s intervention separates Rosario from the baby; Dr. Juan Hidalgo’s examination establishes that Amaia survived and was not suffocated. The scene’s decisive reversal is stark: the cushion is lifted, and the threatened child answers with a cry.